Standing To The Right
by Lamaire Grey
Summary: “Were two of a kind granger” he whispered, “Both friends with a highly respected and talented wizard, always standing just to the right of them”. Hermione frowned at the boy in front of her, feeling his hot breath on her cheek.“Don’t you think it’s about
1. Two Of A Kind

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

* * *

**A/N:** I have recently realised that I have become obsessed with writing Draco/Hermione fanfic's and therefore have decided to try something new. I hope you like it – I'm certainly enjoying writing it! Lol – Happy reading!**

* * *

Summary:**

"Were two of a kind granger" he whispered, "Both friends with a highly respected and talented wizard, always standing just to the right of them".

Hermione frowned at the boy in front of her, feeling his hot breath on her cheek.

"Don't you think it's about time you found your own path?"

**

* * *

Standing To The Right****

* * *

Chapter One: Two of a kind**

* * *

"Yeah right Zabini! Like that would ever happen!"

The swarms of Hogwarts students, their siblings and parents stepped aside as the two tall seventh year boys stalked nonchalantly through the crowd towards the gleaming Hogwarts express.

"Yet again Mr. Malfoy, you have just supported my claim of your insanity!" Replied Blaise Zabini, grinning broadly at his blonde haired friend.

Hermione Granger watched as Malfoy elbowed the darker haired boy jokingly in the ribs, but grinned also.

Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini were the two most dangerous and mysterious members of the student body that graced the halls of the Hogwarts castle.

Malfoy less so then Blaise, as his temper was regularly on show during his spats with her and her friends.

But Blaise was a different matter completely.

There were many things she could say to describe him.

He was tall, almost six one for example. He had dark hair and startling blue eyes. But that did nothing to explain why he was so respected or almost feared at Hogwarts, apart from the fact that he was Draco Malfoy's closest friend.

No it wasn't any of those things.

Blaise Zabini was quiet.

Whereas Draco stormed through the hallways, cursing everyone in sight, arguing with the professors and puling out his wand anywhere, anytime; Blaise padded softly in his friends wake, never catching anyone's eye, never commenting on anything except when Draco asked his opinion or questioned him.

He was not by a long shot on excellent terms with the teachers, but instead of arguing, he tricked them, manipulated them with his clever riddles and butter wouldn't melt sarcasm.

He only ever pulled out his wand in class, because if done anywhere else, you could guarantee the area would be abandoned faster then a sinking ship.

Because the only time Blaise used his wand was when he was angry, very very angry.

* * *

"Oi Mione!"

Hermione was jolted out of her thoughts as a familiar voice yelled across the platform.

The crowds parted again as another pair of boys dashed towards the train.

However these two were grinning, joking and ……heading straight for her.

"Ooff!" she gasped as she landed on the concrete platform, underneath two very tall and muscular boys.

"Hermione!" God I missed you!" Ron Weasley grinned jumping to his feet pulling both herself and his black haired partner in crime upright.

"I would never have guessed" she laughed, throwing her arms around the red head.

"Hey mione, good to see you!" Harry potter grinned as he pulled her into a tight hug.

"The burrow just wasn't the same without you" he added and Hermione frowned.

"But I was there for five weeks!" she said confused.

"Yeah but you missed today's traumatic trip to the station" explained Ron.

"Mr. Weasley tried to phone for muggle taxi's" Harry chuckled and he and Ron started laughing uncontrollably.

Hermione just smiled at her two best friends.

"C'mon guys, lets get a compartment" she said, putting an arm around each of their waists and walking towards the Hogwarts express.

* * *

"Ron!" giggled Hermione helplessly as she was bombarded with yet another handful of Fred and George's latest invention: A splatter dart.

The seemingly sharp and deadly darts exploded with a green gooey liquid, just before contact, and Hermione was now covered, along with the majority of the Gryffindor table, professor Snape and one rather stuck up raven claw second year.

"Quick Ron!" whispered Harry, "get our esteemed head boy!"

Ron grinned and lobbed a handful of tiny black darts at Malfoy's head, over which they exploded spectacularly.

Harry and Ron simultaneously began choking with laughter and Hermione who had her back to Malfoy raised a curious eyebrow at the pair.

"What's so funny?" she inquired picking up and examining one of the little darts.

Ron pointed over her shoulder and she spun round, the dart gleaming innocently in her hand.

Her jaw dropped, as Malfoy's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed in anger as he looked from her to the dart in her hand.

"Granger!" he thundered, moving menacingly towards the petite Gryffindor girl, pulling out his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Suddenly, Malfoy's wand was pulled from his grasp.

Malfoy turned round to find Blaise twirling his wand between his fingers.

Hermione watched as Blaise muttered something to his friend and Draco shrugged and stalked off, muttering a cleaning charm as he went.

She turned back to face Harry and Ron again, who were still laughing, both beetroot red, when she felt a hand grip her shoulder.

Startled she looked up and came face to face with Blaise.

"To mess with a Slytherin is a brave and bold move" he murmured.

"To mess with Draco Malfoy is stupid one"

Hermione gulped.

"And to mess with me is ….." Blaise stopped as he realised that Harry and Ron were now glaring at him, both on their feet, with their wands in front of them.

Hermione shook her head at her two friends.

She turned round to face Blaise.

"And to mess with you is?" she challenged.

Blaise smirked.

"A very stupid one" he answered, before stalking after Draco in the direction of the Slytherin table.

Hermione rolled her eyes and was just about to sit down, when her arm rose of its own accord and the little dart, she was still clutching, fired itself towards none other then professor Dumbledore.

Hermione's heart sank as she watched Dumbledore's beard drip green.

She chanced a look over at the Slytherin table and frowned as she received the briefest of smirks from Blaise Zabini.


	2. Owl Post

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**

* * *

A/N: I have recently realised that I have become obsessed with writing Draco/Hermione fanfic's and therefore have decided to try something new. I hope you like it – I'm certainly enjoying writing it! Lol – Happy reading!****

* * *

Summary:**

"Were two of a kind granger" he whispered, "Both friends with a highly respected and talented wizard, always standing just to the right of them".

Hermione frowned at the boy in front of her, feeling his hot breath on her cheek.

"Don't you think it's about time you found your own path?"

**

* * *

Standing To The Right****

* * *

Chapter Two: Owl Post**

* * *

Hermione stared around her new common room in awe. The soft white carpets, the deep blood red and forest green couches, the crystal and gold chandeliers, the …………truly massive bookcase!

"Oooh!"

Draco rolled his eyes as Hermione forgot to be overwhelmed for a minute as she dashed across to the towering shelves of books.

Draco turned to professor Dumbledore with a please-don't-leave-me-with-that-insane-bookworm! Look on his face and the old head teachers eyes twinkled.

As Draco sauntered over to one of the couches; a green one at that – he really was a true, stuck-up Slytherin, mused Hermione; she felt Dumbledore's step in line with her, in front of the bookcase.

"I took the liberty of filling it with books I know you love" he explained and Hermione's gaze fell instantly on Hogwarts: A History.

"However I also decided on a number of muggle novels and factual volumes and just a few from my own personal collection that I thought might interest you, hmmm?"

It was then that Hermione noticed a shelf filled with a completely bizarre collection of books, with titles she could barely pronounce. It was taking all of her will power not to grab them and devour them at that very moment.

Dumbledore chuckled. "All in good time miss. Granger" he smiled.

"Let's see if I can find something that will be to Mr. Malfoy's liking" he mused.

The two men left to take a look at Draco's personal quidditch room and Hermione sighed contentedly and decided to unpack.

Just as she was turning towards the staircase leading up to the bedrooms, there was a sharp rap on the portrait hole covering.

Jumping slightly, Hermione glanced quickly around for Dumbledore and Malfoy. Upon finding them nowhere in sight, she headed cautiously towards the portrait hole.

She nervously swung it open and jumped back as a boy clambered through it, dusting himself off and muttering furiously.

"For gods sake Draco, why do you always have to be late?" Hermione recognized the voice as Blaise's and a frosty glare settled on her face.

She glared as Blaise yanked off his cloak and threw it over the back of a chair, before settling himself on the sofa.

"You'd better hurry up mate, if you want to have a chance with those two raven claw girls" Hermione watched as he swung a bottle whisky over his shoulder, shaking it tantalisingly.

Finally she uttered a little cough.

Blaise decided to stop talking and turn around.

"Granger…" he greeted her coolly. "Where's Draco?"

Hermione folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"He's talking to Dumbledore" she replied, still sending him death glares. Then she stalked past him in the direction of the staircase, and then hesitated. Doubling back she walked up to Blaise, who sent her a reproachful look.

"As head girl, I have the complete authority to remove this alcoholic substance from your person" she said, snatching the bottle of whisky from his hand.

Blaise merely shrugged, as she smiled smugly.

"Don't drink it all at once, Granger" he called after her retreating figure.

Hermione turned round and stuck out her tongue in the most immature manner she could muster, and then stomped off to her bedroom.

* * *

Blaise watched Hermione go. She was one crazy girl! He chuckled.

Standing up as he heard the sound of voices from behind a door on the left of the common room, he grabbed his cloak and flung it over his shoulder, waiting for Draco and Dumbledore to return.

"Ah Mr. Zabini" the head master greeted Blaise warmly. " I see you found the heads common room quite easily" he smiled.

He turned to Draco; "I shall not deter you from Miss Patil and Miss Johnson any longer" he winked.

Draco shrugged and the elderly professor exited the common room.

Blaise turned to his friend, eyebrows raised.

"Nice pad mate, shame about the girl next door" he said nodding sideways in the direction of Hermione's room.

He watched as Draco sneered, "I very much doubt that father will be happy with this arrangement"

Blaise nodded in agreement. Lucius Malfoy would be appalled at the idea of his son living with a mudblood to say the least.

"Anyway, I'm off to meet a certain raven claw, if you're still coming?" Blaise prompted.

Draco however shook his head and professed himself too tired to be messing around at this time of night, no matter how intriguing he found Alice Johnson.

"Don't you dare get all Gryffindor on me Malfoy!" muttered Blaise, as he swept out of the common room. He laughed as Draco gave him the briefest glance at a choice finger, before slamming shut the portrait hole.

* * *

Seventh year, mused Blaise. Seven years of pure unadulterated magical learning had finally come to this. One year, twelve exams and one dark mark to come and pass and he would be free. Well as free as a man can be whose every movement and decision is based on another man's wishes.

He fumbled in his inside pocket and pulled out a tiny ornate silver hipflask and took a quick swig of the burning spirit inside.

Seventh year, his last year of freedom. And he was already living every second of it. Why he'd only been here four hours and already Miss Padma Patil was tucked up in bed, suitably corrupted. It seemed good looks, a mysterious aura and a trust fund never went out of fashion, Blaise grinned.

He gazed out over the moonlight bathed lake as he wandered its bank, kicking pebbles as he went.

He finished the last drop in his hipflask and stared up at the Hogwarts castle, now almost completely hidden in shadow. He focused on the single bright light coming from one of the towers and jumped slightly as a figure passed the window suddenly.

Our revered head girl, Blaise contemplated, recognizing the figure. How difficult granger would find the real world once she could no longer hide behind her books and high grades. When Hogwarts no longer offered her a safety net and when her friends moved on to build their own lives.

"Welcome to hell, granger" Blaise raised his empty hipflask in a toast to the twinkling light of Hermione's bedroom.

* * *

Hermione glanced out at the glittering surface of the lake as she passed her bedroom window.

Seventh year. Hermione sighed as she remembered that in one year she would have to leave all that she treasured here at Hogwarts and make her own life. It was a thought that terrified her. For all her high grades and extensive knowledge she seemed to be the only one without a plan.

Harry's path was set out for him and although she dreaded the day that he would leave them to fulfil his destiny, she envied his determination and courage to face the future.

Even Ron had plans. He was going to travel, Romania and Egypt with his brothers then to the quidditch league.

She frowned for a minute – how the hell did Ron have a plan and she did not! What was the world coming to!

However that was a question she didn't want to even think about.

Sighing Hermione changed out of her school uniform, placing her head girl badge next to her wand on her bedside dresser, smiling a little as she did so. That had been the last of her well thought out dreams – head girl. She hugged herself in delight and slid into bed.

Just as she picked up one of Dumbledore's books, there was a tapping on her window and upon her undoing the window clasp, in flew three owls.

She recognized the first two. Hedwig circled the room elegantly before dropping her letter into Hermione's lap. Pig widgeon hooted and dive bombed Hermione's wardrobe before launching himself at Hermione's bed, where he lay in a daze for a second before following Hedwig back out the window.

The third owl Hermione didn't recognize, but it was certainly a school owl.

She took the note from its leg and watched it swoop out into the night.

Unfolding Ron and Harry's letter's she smiled broadly.

_

* * *

**Mione,**_

_**First of all – Congratulations! **_

_**You're going to make a great head girl! We didn't get much of a chance to speak to you at the feast as Dumbledore hurried you and Malfoy away. **_

_**Meet us in the Gryffindor common room tomorrow night and we can catch up – I have something important I need to discuss with you and Ron.**_

_**See you tomorrow,**_

_**Harry**_

**

* * *

Herms,**

**Congrats! When can we come and lounge around in your overly luxurious common room?**

**Give Malfoy a kick from me.**

**See you at breakfast – I'm already starving!**

**Ron**

* * *

Hermione laughed. Ron was always hungry – it was ridiculous. What could Harry want to tell them? God, she hoped he wasn't in trouble!

Shaking these thoughts from her head, she picked up the third letter and unfolded it.

* * *

_Miss Granger,_

_Congratulations on your recent appointment as head girl._

_You and Mr. Malfoy are expected in professor Dumbledore's office at one o' clock tomorrow lunchtime for a more detailed discussion of responsibilities and to prepare patrol timetables with the prefects._

_I wish you a good evening,_

_Professor McGonagall_

_P.S – Professor Dumbledore would prefer it in future if you did not aim any exploding darts at his beard as it is apparently extremely time consuming to wash and he has recently run out of his unicorn milk and pixie dust shampoo. Thank you._


	3. Knots And Tangles

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**

* * *

A/N: I have recently realised that I have become obsessed with writing Draco/Hermione fanfic's and therefore have decided to try something new. I hope you like it – I'm certainly enjoying writing it! Lol – Happy reading! ****

* * *

Summary: **

"Were two of a kind granger" he whispered, "Both friends with a highly respected and talented wizard, always standing just to the right of them".

Hermione frowned at the boy in front of her, feeling his hot breath on her cheek.

"Don't you think it's about time you found your own path?"

**

* * *

Standing To The Right** **

* * *

Chapter Three:** Knots And Tangles _

* * *

He clings to his opinions as if they're all he has. _

_Although he doesn't mean to condescend, sometimes he just seems mean. _

_He likes to point out flaws, to demonstrate his intellect._

* * *

The following morning, Hermione was ready within seconds and darting down to breakfast. 

"Harry……. Ron!" the two boys stared at their friend incredulously as she panted and wheezed out their names, bent double from her marathon of eleven flights of stairs.

"Er… Hermione" Ron started, "are you ok?"

Nodding and clutching her side, which was throbbing from a stitch, Hermione painfully slid into a seat opposite the two boys at the Gryffindor table.

"So Harry" Hermione started, as soon as she'd got her breath back, "what was it you wanted to discuss with us?"

Harry's face saddened almost instantly and he shook his head.

"I said tonight in the common room – here's too public; we might be overheard" he muttered.

Ron sent Hermione a smug "For-once-it-wasn't-me" look, and she responded by kicking him sharply under the table.

"So guys, who's got a Gryffindor timetable?" Hermione asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Ron held out a piece of parchment to her and she took it from him, eyes widening in disbelief.

_

* * *

First – Potions – Gryffindor/Slytherin _

_Second – Potions – Gryffindor/Slytherin_

_Third – Free_

_Fourth – Care of Magical Creatures – Gryffindor/Slytherin_

_Fifth – Care of magical creatures – Gryffindor/Slytherin_

_Sixth – Free_

* * *

"A whole day with the Slytherin's!" yelped Hermione, "not possible!" 

"Hey granger" Hermione jumped as she heard a familiar drawling voice.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she sighed, noticing that Harry and Ron were both on their feet.

"Here" Draco threw a small shiny object through the air at her, "you left this on the coffee table this morning"

Hermione glanced down at her head girl badge, which lay nestled in her palm.

"Thanks" she whispered.

"Whatever….." sneered Malfoy, before stalking away.

Harry frowned at Hermione, "I would never have thought you'd forget that mione!" he said, surprised.

Hermione shrugged, "I guess I was just in a hurry to see if you were ok…"

She glanced down again and when she looked up Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Har-"she started, then stopped in realisation, at the look on Ron's face.

Apparently, hearing that she put his welfare above her biggest dream and achievement was a little too much for Harry to handle this morning.

_What was going on with him?_ She wondered.

* * *

"Welcome to seventh year potions" Snape's snarling voice had the seventh year Slytherin's and Gryffindor's sitting bolt upright and concentrating like mad. 

"Though how the majority of you have survived this long, Merlin only knows!" Snape continued.

Ron rolled her eyes at Hermione, who hid a grin.

"Weasley – please don't continue in the state of mind that I cannot see your vulgar eye movements when my back is turned" Snape sneered dangerously, causing Ron to jump and fall off his chair in surprise.

"All seventh year students have been required since the founding of Hogwarts, to research, write a dissertation on and create a potion of choice. There is a time limit of two months and the difficulty or rarity of the potion is completely up to you." Snape reeled off the information, ignoring the reproachful looks on his student's faces.

"Any potion?" asked Ron, "this will be so easy!" he grinned.

"Usually, students are supposed to carry out this project alone, but due to the large number of you, I expect you to divide quickly into pairs" Snape instructed.

Everyone paused for a minute, deciding on partners.

"NOW!" barked Snape.

Everyone jumped and grabbed the nearest person. Harry and Ron were an obvious partnership. Pansy Parkinson had all but leaped into Malfoy's arms, which left…………..

"Oh no" Hermione shook her head as she realised the only person left was the only person she really couldn't stand.

"Morning granger" Blaise Zabini grinned wickedly as he slid into the seat adjacent to hers.

Hermione groaned and let her head fall on to the desk in front of her.

* * *

"Ah miss. Granger, how pleasant to see you" Dumbledore greeted Hermione chirpily as she entered his office and seated herself beside Malfoy. 

"Lemon drop miss granger?"

Hermione politely accepted a sweet and popped it into her mouth, just to find that her teeth had become clamped together, due to its lemony stickiness. Malfoy it seemed was having just as much trouble.

"so I have arranged a time table for patrolling the corridors that will enable you to spend as much time as possible on your potions projects, that professor Snape informed me you have recently started – such fun they are!" the elderly professors exclaimed joyfully.

"Miss Granger, may I recommend choosing a potion from one of my books, hmmm?"

Hermione nodded, still furiously attempting to loosen her teeth from the sticky sweet.

"I've also partnered you two with your potions partners so you will have plenty of opportunities to discuss your ideas!"

Hermione admitted an alarmed squeak, still unable to talk. She was starting to think that Dumbledore had planned this!

"so Mr. Malfoy, you and miss Parkinson will be able to discuss your project right away as your patrol evenings will be Monday nights from nine till midnight – although I am sure you already see quite enough of each other" he chuckled. Malfoy at least had the audacity to blush slightly.

"And miss granger, you and Mr……….._Zabini_" Dumbledore blinked in surprise, "you will be patrolling on a Thursday evening"

Hermione finally freed her teeth and opened her mouth to complain, but was rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. (A/N: What is it with the knocking on doors in this story?)

"I'm sorry children, but I have a very important meeting with my shampoo supplier" Dumbledore gestured for them to leave; Hermione blushing deeply as she went. On the way out they passed a very short man carrying a large box, sporting the most extraordinarily long, shiny ginger hair……..

"Here granger, sort that mop of yours out" Malfoy threw her a bottle from the box the man was carrying and swept out of the office.

Hermione glanced down at the label.

**_Honey blossom nursery's unicorn milk and pixie dust shampoo – for all your knots and tangles! _**

She was going to kill Malfoy one day, she swore!

* * *

A/N: Sorry this one isn't that long guys – I'm having trouble with my plot in this fanfic – any ideas would be much appreciated! 


	4. Finding Flaws

Disclaimer: I dont own anything you recongize! Promise! lol

* * *

Chapter Four: Finding Flaws_

* * *

There's things my I hide away from myself  
Too much time makes look inwards  
Don't stay in my head  
Or prey on my mind  
Visit my eyes  
You're not invited to stay_

_You're flawed to perfection._

* * *

"Granger what is this all about?"

A hassled looking Blaise clambered through the heads portrait hole, brandishing a letter baring Hermione's script.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the peeved looking boy and rolled her eyes.

"I believe they call it a letter Zabini" she smirked. Draco must be rubbing off on her Blaise thought comically for a minute, before getting back to the issue at hand.

"A letter" he stated.

Hermione nodded, "you know with words and stuff…." She prompted.

Blaise scrunched up the letter, lobbing it at the fireplace and watching as the embers crackled, eating up the paper hungrily.

"Strangely enough I am well aware of what a letter is granger" he sneered.

"However, go with me on this okay? Picture this……. I am relaxing by the lake after a hard day of lessons. Drink in one hand, pretty girl lying next to me and suddenly, out of nowhere……… I am _dive-bombed_ by a ball of feathers!"

It was then that Hermione noticed the feathers sticking up at odd angles from Blaise's unkempt black hair. It was much like Harry's she mused momentarily.

"Erm Zabini…" she ventured, about to point out the additional headwear, but was cut off swiftly.

"No – wait; there's more!" Blaise spluttered, "I then manage to untangle myself from this decidedly feathery tennis ball, to find a letter………. Your letter…….. Demanding my presence instantaneously in the heads common room. Now this is all very well – I assumed it was to do with the project and therefore promptly ignored it…"

He stopped for breath, and then grew angry again.

"However the furry little tennis ball obviously felt its task had not been fulfilled and so it dive-bombed me all the way up the eleven flights of stairs to this bloody common room! _Eleven_ flights of stairs!"

Blaise stopped ranting, flushed and floundering for air, and Hermione just couldn't help herself. She started laughing.

Blaise glowered at her, folding his arms and Hermione howled even louder.

"What!" Blaise growled.

Hermione stopped laughing for a second to point shakily at Blaise's hair.

Bringing a hand sharply to his locks, he pulled out a feather. Then another and another.

Blaise snapped.

"Granger you are the most annoying, troublesome bloody Gryffindor I've ever had the misfortune to clap eyes on!" he cried, furiously, before storming out of the common room.

Hermione stopped laughing and stormed after him.

"Zabini! You can't just decide to leave – we have a project to do!" she yelled after him.

"Do it yourself granger, I'm going back to the lake" Blaise retorted.

"Oh no your not! You will damn well do some work on this project – you can't get out of everything you know….." Hermione snapped, folding her arms and tapping her left foot, in a manner that let Blaise know she could not be more peeved off if she tried.

Blaise stopped walking and turned around, retracing his steps till he was in front of her.

"Granger, I already have enough attitude of my own without needing any of yours" he smirked dangerously, before spinning on his heel and storming off down the corridor, leaving Hermione sputtering in disbelief.

* * *

Hermione sat cross legged on the blood red couch in the common room. The seat beside her was piled high with all sorts of potions volumes, one of which lay open in Hermione's lap.

However she was not reading it or even looking down at the page. Her gaze rested on the flickering flames of the fireplace and her mind was wandering freely. This was very unlike Hermione, as she had long ago decided that allowing her thoughts to follow their own path was not wise. Her mind often began to settle on things she really didn't want to think about, such as Harry's impending battle with Voldemort, their lives, what would happen to their world……. Their families; if Harry failed. It was an unsettling thought.

"Granger?"

Hermione yelped abruptly, as she was snapped out of her worries by the sound of her name.

Turning to look who'd frightened her, her eyes widened.

"Zabini what are you doing here?" she asked flatly, running a hand distractedly through her mass of brown curls.

Blaise took a deep breath, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets, giving him a childlike sulkiness that made Hermione smile inwardly.

"I'm here to work on the project……. Our project" he replied slowly, as if every word, especially the penultimate one, was killing him.

Hermione shrugged, capturing her messy curls in a knot on top of her head and tossing him a heavy gold embossed book.

"Ok then, get looking" she commanded.

* * *

"Here's something interesting"

Hermione glanced up at the boy opposite her, raising an eyebrow.

"Actually it's very interesting..." he added his eyebrows shooting skywards.

Hermione uncrossed her legs and walked over to her companion.

"Where?" she asked, taking the book from him and scanning the page.

"How to charm wilder beasts to dance!" she read aloud, an incredulous tone seeping into her voice with every word.

Blaise rolled his eyes.

"No…….. This" he corrected her, handing her a slip of parchment, covered in tiny scripture.

"It fell out of the book……….. I think it's a potion of some sort and obviously not a very common one at that" he remarked.

Hermione squinted at the slip of parchment, trying to read the miniscule writing.

"Granger, for someone so clever, you are exceedingly dim sometimes" Blaise frowned at the witch in front of him.

Grabbing the note back from her he balanced it on the arm of the couch and muttered, "Engorge!"

Hermione watched as the paper began to grow in size – the text with it - until it was readable.

_**

* * *

Potiono**_

"_Fortes Fortuna adiuvat, ante bellum, Fata viam invenient"_

_Protecticcion deas magrides_

Ddly mst s wh th gnst nd mst n s wh th prtct t rdr n scrfc tr nd lv f mpssbl th wth shld t

* * *

Hermione stared at the text in disbelief.

"It's a mix of Spanish, Latin and god knows what that is!" Hermione pointed to the fourth line down which seemed to be complete nonsense. The rest of the text followed a similar pattern realised Hermione in dismay.

"It's defiantly a potion though" she thought out loud.

"It's a protection potion" Blaise informed her.

"What?" Hermione whipped around to look directly at him.

Blaise indicated to the scripture, "A protection spell……look"

He began to trace his finger under each line as he spoke.

"Fortune aids the brave, before the war, the fates will find a way…………… Protection for the magi" he translated with perfect ease.

"You can speak Latin _and_ Spanish……..!" exclaimed Hermione in shock.

Blaise smirked, "along with ancient Greek, hieroglyphics, French, Portuguese, Russian and Chinese" he gloated. "It is not in a Zabini's nature _not_ to understand their enemies" he claimed.

Hermione brushed this comment off, frowning slightly.

"A protection potion ………this could work" she muttered thoughtfully.

Blaise merely nodded in agreement.

"Granger, I'm off to patrol with pansy – so can you owl our notes on the Christmas festivities to Dumbledore?" Hermione's train of thought was broken by Malfoy, heading out for his patrolling session.

Glancing at her watch, Hermione realised that she and Blaise had been searching for five hours!

Wow! And I haven't even had to slap him yet……. She giggled.

"Yeah sure Draco" she replied distractedly.

Malfoy stared at her, "don't ever call me Draco. People may think I'm associated with you" he sneered, then swept out of the common room with a quick greeting to Blaise.

Hermione slumped angrily onto the couch.

"I don't know how you put up with him, I really don't!" she fumed, at Blaise.

Blaise shrugged, "he's my closest friend and the only person I trust" he replied shrewdly.

Hermione glanced up at the boy opposite her in amazement. Had Zabini just shared a personal detail with her?

"But he's so arrogant and snobby and……and downright mean…" she floundered, without success.

Blaise eyed her lazily, "surely potter and Weasley have their flaws?" he commented.

Hermione shrugged, "well of course they do, but I would still do anything for them" she replied, emotion gathering in her brown eyes.

"Well then, my point is made" Blaise finished the conversation, leaving Hermione with a sense that she had forgotten something.

Suddenly it came to her.

"Dammit!" she cried, springing up from the couch. "Harry! Ron, Common room!"

Blaise watched in bemusement as the brown haired girl dashed out of the common room, slamming the portrait hole behind her.

"I'll just finish up here shall I?" he called after her mockingly, ducking as the heavy text Hermione had been carrying was launched at his head through the reopened portrait hole.

* * *

"hey guys, sorry I'm late" Hermione swung open the portrait of the fat lady, who had been most annoyed at Hermione's interruption of her and her friend violets conversation, and clambered into the Gryffindor common room.

She had spotted her two best friends quickly and now made her way over to join them on the couch nearest the fireplace, which was flickering joyfully.

Hermione drank in the familiar sights of the room. The whole place just seemed to ooze a feeling of content and happiness; from the squishy red couches, to the dancing flames and the soft red carpet. This was truly home for Hermione and god how she missed it.

She waved enthusiastically at Dean Thomas and seams Finnegan, who were playing a literally explosive game of exploding snap, the other side of the fireplace.

Neville long bottom uttered a hasty greeting on his way to bed and Hermione grinned warmly in response.

She stopped smiling however when she noticed the expression Harry was wearing, and dropped down onto the couch, in between the two boys.

"Ok then Harry, what's this all about?" asked Hermione tenderly.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his black hair, reminding Hermione of Blaise's previous action earlier that night.

Hermione clutched Rons hand briefly for comfort, and was relieved when he squeezed hers back. She had a feeing that Harry's news was not going to be particularly joyful.

Harry cleared his thought.

"I have been thinking lately" he began quietly.

"That's gotta hurt mate" joked Ron and Harry gave him a weak smile. Ron mouthed an apology, looking some what disconcerted.

"I've been thinking about having to fight Voldemort", Hermione winced ever so slightly, but Harry ignored her.

"There's some things, a few things, that I want, I need to do before the inevitable happens" Harry finished.

Hermione wrinkled her nose puzzled. "Like what Harry?" she prompted softly.

Harry dug a hand into his trouser pocket and produced a slip of parchment.

"I wrote a list of things I feel I would regret not doing if worse come to worst" he shook out the folded paper and began to read, his voice low and toneless.

"I want to visit the order again and….and…" he trailed off miserably, letting the list fall limply into his lap.

Hermione reached across and gently prised the paper out of Harry's fist.

She read it several times and then threw her arms around Harry. Now she knew the reason behind his distress of late.

_2. Visit my parent's grave_

_3. Visit my parent's house_

Hermione looked desperately at Ron, now reading the last two bullet points of the list, and he bit his lip completely at a loss of what to do.

"I want you two to come with me" Harry said out of the blue and Hermione stared at him in astonishment.

"Harry, isn't this a private matter?" she remarked softly.

Harry shrugged, "I'm going to visit my family's graves. Don't people usually do that with other members of their family? And you two are my family so……."

Hermione halted him right there. "Shhhh, I wouldn't dream of letting you go alone" she said firmly and Harry smiled faintly.

"You should get some rest mate" Ron chipped in and the boy nodded. He suddenly looked very young, as innocent and naïve as the first time she'd seen him in this sort of turmoil during their first year and it pained her deeply.

Ron stood up and stretched, "I should go find Ginny, I yelled at her because she wanted to know what was up with Harry; I told her it was none of her business" he looked vaguely guilty and Hermione frowned at him.

"I'll go if you want" she offered and Ron sighed gratefully.

"So what do you think about all of this?" Ron whispered softly, nodding at Harry, who was currently climbing the boy's staircase dispiritedly.

Hermione grimaced, "I don't even want to think about that right now" she replied tiredly. Ron bobbed his head in total agreement.

"Stay here tonight mione" Ron glanced up at her imploringly. Hermione smiled back at her friend.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else"

* * *

"Pansy, get a move on!" Draco tapped his fingers on his crossed arms, in a highly agitated movement.

Pansy had disappeared into the girls bathroom ten minutes previously to fix her makeup and Draco was now distinctly bored.

He found himself wandering back and forth down the corridor which was silent and dimly lit.

"Ahh!" Draco yelped in surprise, as his body abruptly made contact with that of another.

"Lumos" A soft glowing light instantly bathed the corridor, and Draco looked down to the sight of Ginny Weasley, desperately pulling her skirt back down, where it had flown up during the fall.

"For god sake ferret face! Look where you're going!" Ginny snapped angrily, slapping away Draco's assisting hand and clambering inelegantly to her feet.

"Me!" Draco spat, "you're the one who is out of bounds and past curfew" he reminded her pompously, tapping his wand to his watch.

Ginny scowled. "Oh who cares!" she cried, pushing past him, "and I' not out of bounds!"

"I do" Draco retorted, "I'm on patrol and its past curfew" he tapped his watch again.

Ginny glared, "do that again and I'll stuff your overly expensive Rolex watch down your throat. You'll be coughing up diamonds for weeks!" she whispered dangerously, hands on hips.

Draco appeared to think this through for a moment, and then grinned evilly.

He raised his wand in an overly dramatic gesture and made to tap his watch face again, a testing expression on his pale features. Ginny was trying very hard not to take the bait.

"Drakie? I'm done" a sing song voice came to Draco and Ginny's rescue and pansy Parkinson wiggled out of the girls bathroom, fully made up.

"Hey Malfoy, you can extinguish your wand, your girlfriends lipstick is bright enough to blind" Ginny threw one last insult at the couple before storming off the way she'd come.

From her position in the shadows, Hermione was trying very hard not to laugh at pansy's insulted expression. The girl could catch flies at that very minute Hermione was sure.

"Stop gaping pansy, it makes you look like bulstrode" Draco sneered cruelly sand pansy slammed her jaw shut.

Hermione applauded both Ginny and Malfoy for managing to shut pansy up twice within the space of seven minutes, and slinked away, back to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

As there was no longer a fifth bed in the seventh year girl's dormitory, Hermione had fallen asleep on one of the couches in front of the fire in the common room. The once dancing flames had now been reduced to glowing embers and they bathed Hermione's face in a soft golden light.

Ron watched her silently for a minute, and then covered her with the blanket from his own bed, tucking it under her chin to keep her warm when the embers died out completely.

He paused as she stirred slightly then continued to sleep contentedly. Ron pushed a strand on hair behind her ear and bent over to kiss her forehead gently, before darting back up the stairs to his dormitory; safe and satisfied that Hermione was, for one night at least, back where she belonged.

* * *

A/N: Awwwwwwww! Didn't that just leave you feeling all warm and squishy inside? Bless the little red head! Lol

This one was longer and took me an age to write so hope you like it! READ AND REVIEW!


	5. Cat Who Got The Cream

**Disclaimer:** Nothing you recognize is mine.

**

* * *

A/N: I have recently realised that I have become obsessed with writing Draco/Hermione fanfic's and therefore have decided to try something new. I hope you like it – I'm certainly enjoying writing it! Lol – Happy reading! ****

* * *

Summary: **

"Were two of a kind granger" he whispered, "Both friends with a highly respected and talented wizard, always standing just to the right of them".

Hermione frowned at the boy in front of her, feeling his hot breath on her cheek.

"Don't you think it's about time you found your own path?"

**

* * *

Standing To The Right ****

* * *

Chapter Five: **_

* * *

You smile like the cat that's got the cream  
I'm vulnerable and I know you see me  
There's so much I wanna say _

* * *

Hermione finished braiding her unruly curls into a thick plait and fastened it securely. She massaged the back of her neck, wincing at the sharp twinges of pain that shoot through it. Sleeping on a couch was never an effective way of getting a good night's sleep, she thought wryly. 

After pulling on her school skirt, now a little crumpled, and the remainder of her uniform, she made her way down into the Gryffindor common room, where Harry and Ron were waiting for her. Ron smiled at her warmly.

"Sleep well?" he grinned as she dispatched him a denouncing expression.

She then stole a glimpse at Harry. His eyes were rimmed thinly with red, as though someone had taken a red marker pen to his retinas, and he wore an exhausted expression, appearing so completely tired of life that it wounded her deeply.

"Harry?" Hermione looked up at him questioningly and received a nod as way of greeting.

"I think I need something to eat" he muttered finally and Hermione steered him out of the room in the direction of the great hall.

* * *

After four sausages, two pieces of toast and a cup of tea, Harry was looking decidedly perkier. Hermione felt very much like his Mrs. Weasley, as she straightened his school tie and flattened his hair and laughed as Harry swatted her hands away playfully. 

"Mione stop it. I can dress myself. I've only been doing it for the past sixteen years" he cried exasperatedly.

"Funny that and yet you still can't put a jumper on the right way round" Hermione laughed. Harry blushed, pulling his jumper over his head and flipped it inside out.

Pulling it back over his head, Harry caught a red flash from the corner of his eye. Ginny.

"I'll see you two in history of magic. I've got to talk to someone quickly." He said distractedly, his green eyes following Ginny's departure from the great hall.

Hermione sent Ron a puzzled glance as Harry jumped out of his seat and darted out of the hall.

Ron merely shrugged and proceeded to stuff an entire slice of toast into his mouth. Seconds later he decided that that wasn't such a good idea, as he began to choke.

* * *

Harry jogged along the charms corridor, desperately trying to locate Ginny. He had no idea why he needed to apologise to her so badly, but he did. The look on her face when Ron had told her to leave him alone last night had made his heart wrench. It had twisted again when he had found himself nodding in agreement with Ron and her look of hurt had deepened even further. 

Ginny and he had grown closer over the six weeks he had spent at the burrow. Ron had taken up a job of weeding the neighbour's gardens for extra cash, leaving Harry to his own devices for three hours a day.

On occasions the twins would appear from nowhere and persuade him to test their latest invention, which always ended badly.

However, it was when Harry had reluctantly tried a "torrential tear jerker" chew and water had started flooding from both ears, which Ginny had come to his rescue; healing the frostbite on his ears and banishing Fred and George for the summer.

Harry and Ginny had spent three hours a day for the remainder of the summer in each other's company. He had found her to be an excellent listener and to have the wittiest sense of humour of anyone he knew.

She had listened about his troubles with Cho Chang, the raven claw seeker, with who Harry believed himself to be in love with. However he had gradually began to think less and less of the Asian beauty and more and more about a certain red headed sixth year.

Harry halted suddenly as he heard a distinctive laugh from one of the charms classrooms. It was defiantly Ginny's. Her laugh was loud and unconstrained. When she laughed she laughed fully and completely – not a polite giggle that a lot of girls used so not to appear unladylike. He loved that about her; she didn't care what anyone thought about her.

He knocked sharply on the classroom door and it swung open as professor Flitwick brandished his wand at it, from the top of the pile of books he was standing on, in order to look over his desk.

"Yes Mr. Potter?" the tiny professor inquired in his squeaky little voice.

Harry knew he was growing red and muttered is request quickly.

"I need to see Ginny Weasley for a minute sir"

Flitwick smiled and nodded, gesturing for Ginny to be allowed to leave.

Ginny stood up slowly, a frown set firmly on her delicate features.

She brushed coldly past Harry and he closed the door behind her. Turning around to face her, he took in her folded arms, icy glare and the furious flicker in her blue eyes.

"What Harry? What is so important that you deem it acceptable to pull me out of charms? Am I suddenly worthy enough to be allowed a glimpse into your top secret affairs again!" Harry winced at her wintry tone of voice.

"Ginny, I…." Harry started, and then stopped. In all honesty he had no idea what he wanted to say or why he was saying it.

Ginny uncrossed her arms and walked over to him. He looked so lost, like a frightened five year old, she couldn't help herself. She put her arms around him and hugged him tightly, feeling him relax into her embrace.

They stood like that for a few minutes, blocking out the hectic world around them for just a little while, before Ginny pulled away.

"Harry I refuse to be in and out of your life like this. I need you to choose whether you want me to be a part of it or not. I need to be able to live my life." She whispered gently, the feelings she'd been bottling up since the end of the holidays pouring out from her lips.

Harry said nothing and Ginny skirted round him, twisting the doorknob of the charms class room and opening it.

"Ginny wait" Harry spun round and marched over to her. He tilted her chin up so she was looking directly into his eyes.

"I want you to be a part of my life Ginny. I can't imagine you not being around"

And he kissed her.

* * *

Ginny had been kissed many times. Dean Thomas, Michael corner, Seamus Finnegan and several other boys she'd met at parties over the last few summers, but none of them had made her feel like this. 

She clung desperately onto Harry's broad shoulders as he deepened the kiss, wishing she would never have to let go. It was a kiss that meant so much and so little all at once. In reality it was just a hurried, spur of the moment gesture that secured her status in the boy that lived life, but to her it was her most desperate and coveted dream coming true. She was kissing Harry potter!

The sound of cheering brought the pair back to reality and as they broke apart they could see Ginny's classmates cheering and catcalling, causing them both to blush heavily.

"I'll see you later ok?" Harry whispered in Ginny's ear and she nodded, grinning broadly.

He placed a chaste kiss on her lips and headed off down the corridor, running a hand through his untidy hair.

Ginny sighed, and then straightened back her shoulders, walking nonchalantly back into her lesson, where her friends insisted on continuing their embarrassing tirade of wolf whistles.

"Quiet class!" squeaked professor Flitwick, glaring at Ginny for causing such a commotion. Smiling like the cat that'd got the cream, Ginny ignored him.

* * *

To say Blaise Zabini was having a bad day was an understatement. His general mood was that of a man with an allergy to rain being caught in the monsoon season without an umbrella. Not only had he received a detention from McGonagall for tardiness, he had just been forced to drink a foul smelling purple potion for his ankle which had twisted on the way to potions and he could not for the life of him figure out the code for Hermione and his potion project's subject. 

However the cherry on the top of the puddle of melted ice cream that was his day, had been receiving a letter from his father.

Students dived for cover as the Slytherin stormed his way through the parting crowds, feeling very much like Moses and his red sea, but feeling equally like the pursuers of the biblical hero – extremely pissed off.

Blaise didn't stop glaring and storming until he reached the room of requirement. He had known about and loved this room since his first year at Hogwarts, when he had stumbled across it in the middle of a particularly challenging transfiguration class, when he had needed a place to let off some steam. The room had provided him with cushioned walls and various china plates, which he smashed on the bulls' eye target opposite the table they were piled on. It had been tremendous fun and extremely effective in banishing his bad temper. He had returned to class and transformed his cup perfectly into a slender black rat with glittering ruby eyes.

Now as he pushed open the door to the room of requirement, he was unsure of what he wanted to find. He knew however that the room would know could read his subconscious thoughts and desires and so forged ahead, swinging the door wide open. He slipped silently into the room.

It was dark in the room. Blaise could vaguely make out a sofa and a table, but apart from that all that was in the room was a mirror. About two metres high and a quarter that across, the mirror was suspended in an elaborate, thick gold frame, carved with intricate symbols and designs. Blaise crossed the vicinity to the mirror and ran a pale finger over the carvings.

From nowhere a sentence, that made no sense at first to Blaise's mind, carved itself onto the gilded frame, catching his eye. Reading the words carefully several times, Blaise realised that they were written in reverse order. It was something he'd often seen in his father's office; a code used to conceal important or even possibly illegal documents that he might have lying around. Mr. Zabini had taught his son this technique at an early age, along with his fluency in languages and other attributes Mr. Zabini believed were expected of a young pure-blooded wizard of extraordinary talent. For Blaise was a talented wizard – he had already mastered more spells, enchantments and potions when he'd arrived at Hogwarts then most left knowing. He also had a basic knowledge of several dark art areas – another area of knowledge that his father insisted he excel at.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

_I show not your face, but your heart's desire_

Blaise translated the phrase easily and a slow grin spread across his handsome features.

The mirror of Erised! He had heard about this mirror. It had formally belonged to the alchemist, Nicholas Flamel, and had been rumoured to now be in Dumbledore's possession. As they said there wasn't smoke without fire and it seemed that these rumours held some truth after all. Blaise was suddenly struck with a new dilemma. To look or not to look………. That is the question. Blaise misquoted the famous Shakespearian line mockingly as he ran his fingers over the carvings that framed the glass of the mirror of erised, once again.

Oh hell! He thought wildly. How much harm can knowing my hearts desire do! Its mine after all. Determinedly he stepped in front of the reflective guise of the mirror front and stared into it.

There seemed to be a lot of smoke like substance swirling manically around his reflection and as it cleared, Blaise saw….. Nothing……

"What the fuck?" Blaise bristled angrily as he solely saw himself in the shiny surface. He stomped a foot childishly and made to storm out of the room. Glancing back over his shoulder at the mirror for a final time he stopped. The smoke in the reflection had cleared fully now, leaving a faint outline of what appeared to be some sort of poem. No! A riddle! Blaise's eyes gleamed.

_If you take one step forward_

_And are able to take one step back,_

_How many steps can you take back,_

_If you take two forward?_

_Once is not the sole number of times you can change a situation,_

_To make it twice as hard._

Blaise frowned at the spidery gold script quivering above his reflection. He reached out with his hand, grasping the quill and parchment he knew the room would have provided the instant he'd thought about writing the riddle down to show Hermione.

He copied the sentences down quickly in his crooked handwriting, and then slumped down into the arm chair situated behind the desk that the quill had been situated on.

_Once is not the sole number………..twice as hard….._

He stared thoughtfully up at the mirror, admiring its carved inscription.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

It was a clever way of coding Blaise considered. That was defiantly something that made a sentence twice as hard to read.

Abruptly he stood up._ Twice as hard……._ Backwards coding_. Once is not the sole number of times………._

Quickly he rummaged around for his copy of the potion instructions he'd made the previous night

_**Potiono**_

"_**Fortes Fortuna adiuvat, ante bellum, Fata viam invenient"**_

_**Protecticcion deas magrides**_

**Ddly mst s wh th gnst nd mst n s wh th prtct t rdr n scrfc tr nd lv f mpssbl th wth shld t**

He easily rearranged the words so they were written in reverse order to that in which they were displayed on the original parchment.

_T shld wth th mpssbl f nd tr scrfc n rdr prtct th wh s n mst nd gnst th wh s mst ddly_

Great help. He thought sarcastically. There must be another way it's coded to make it twice as hard, he pondered as he gazed at the rearranged sentence.

Sighing deeply, he glanced down at the shiny jet face of his watch. It was ten to seven, dinner would be served shortly and Hermione was bound to be in the great hall. He could ask her to meet him then.

Scooping the pieces of parchment into the pocket of his robes, Blaise slipped out of the room of requirement, into the dimly lit hallway on the seventh floor. He scurried down the stone staircase that descended to the lower floors and disappeared from sight.

Inside the room of requirement however, the mirror of erased was changing. A new image was forming, now Blaise's desire to figure out the potions' code had been fulfilled. One that, if Blaise had stayed to witness, might have altered his wish to share his revelations with a certain Gryffindor.

* * *

Hermione dodged Ron's fork as it whizzed past her head. 

"Ronald Weasley!" she yelled furiously. Ron gulped.

"It was meant to hit Harry" he explained badly and Hermione glared.

Harry and Ron had been in the middle of an extremely heated debate about quidditch, when Ron had lost his temper and decided to launch his cutlery into orbit.

"Your aim is atrocious Ronald" Hermione rolled her eyes and dived under the table to retrieve the fork.

Grabbing it, she waved it in the air in triumph, before righting herself on her seat.

"Granger, please refrain from attempts at my life via incessant poking with sharp eating implements"

Hermione looked up, to see a highly peeved looking Blaise Zabini sporting a series of little red dots, where she had apparently poked him with the orbital fork in her victory wave.

"Im…. Sorry" she offered, trying and failing to keep the amusement out of her voice.

Blaise shot her a withering look and waved a piece of parchment in front of her.

"I was wondering if you could help me with this" he offered her the parchment and she took it gingerly.

Looking down at the sentence written in untidy scrawl, she laughed.

"That's an easy one" she replied, fishing a quill out of her bag and scribbling anew sentence underneath the original.

"All it's missing is the vowels"

Blaise stared at the piece of paper in shock. The vowels! But it was so easy….

Hermione was frowning darkly at the reformed sentences.

Gradually she looked up, gazing intently at Blaise.

"Is this….?" She asked quietly and Blaise nodded. A huge grin spread over Hermione's pretty features.

"Oh my god! This is so exciting!"

Harry and Ron gaped at her as she jumped out of her seat and almost skipped out of the great hall.

Blaise gaped at the Gryffindor girl as well, then shrugged and followed her out of the hall and down the corridor.

"Crazy I tell you" Ron was saying to Harry, who nodded wisely.

"Probably caused by being round you" he professed, and Ron whacked him with his fork.

* * *

"We did it!" Hermione cried happily, as she waved the rearranged passage in the air. Blaise smirked and grabbed the parchment from her.

**Potiono**

"**Fortune aids the brave, before the war, the fates will find a way.**

**Protection for the magi.**

**To shield with the impossible, of love and true sacrifice, in order to protect that which is in most need against that which is most deadly.**

The passage continued to list the ingredients and steps needed in order to brew the potion.

"I can't believe it was that simple" Hermione gushed. Blaise saw her mentally slap herself for not seeing it sooner.

"Its creator obviously wanted someone to discover it" Blaise mused out loud.

"So why encode it then?" Hermione voice rang in his ears.

"Maybe it was to be discovered by those who really wanted to know about it. Those who really needed it." He shrugged. "We really needed it for our potions project and we really wanted to know about it didn't we?" he suggested. Hermione frowned unsure.

"But we don't really have a use for it do we? I mean we don't need protection do we?" she stated.

Blaise's eyes became suddenly hooded. _Maybe _you_ don't Hermione_, he shuddered.

He shook the thought from his mind and gave the girl opposite him a brief smile.

"Well, shall we celebrate?" he asked and smirked as Hermione peered at him curiously.

"Do you still have that bottle of whisky you confiscated from my person several weeks ago?"

Hermione's eyes widened.

* * *

Having at first refused to fetch the bottle of whisky, which lay concealed in the very back of her wardrobe, Blaise had insisted it at least be returned to him. So Hermione had obliged.

She'd watched as Blaise unscrewed the shiny silver cap of the bottle, summoned two crystal shot glasses, and had poured a small measure of the brown liquid into each.

Primarily when offered one of the glasses she'd declined haughtily. Hermione had only ever drunk butter beer and that was strong enough for her!

For a few minutes she repressed her desire to try something stronger, until finally she gave in, grabbed the shot glass and downed the brown spirit in one shuddering gulp.

"That's more like it!" Blaise, who was on his third shot by that time, grinned evilly.

He poured her a double and she downed it as well.

"Now were even" he proclaimed, refilling both glasses shakily. Hermione started to giggle as Blaise spilt more and more of the whisky over the table, swearing furiously as he did so.

Soon he gave up and swigged from the neck of the bottle, wincing.

"It always tastes stronger that way" he admitted, passing Hermione the bottle. Now a bit tipsy, and as one always does when a bit tipsy, Hermione decided that it was a fine idea to keep drinking, instead of stopping and going to bed.

Being drunk really was quite good fun she thought wildly as found herself talking animatedly with the Slytherin, now sitting next to her, arms gesturing wildly, laughter escaping her at every opportunity.

"Let go" she demanded, as Blaise made to drink the last of the alcohol, pulling the bottle from her grasp.

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Why not!"

"Er well…….because its mine"

"What exactly is the point you're trying to make here?" she cried

Blaise shrugged, "not sure, but imp sure it's a good one" he smirked.

Hermione grinned evilly, "ok then, ill give you the bottle if you show me that you can rub your stomach and pat your head simultaneously!" she dared.

Blaise rolled his eyes, "easy peasy!" he replied smugly, placing a hand on his stomach and on his crown.

"ha ha! Got ya!" Hermione squealed joyfully as she quickly drank the last of the liquid from the crystal bottle.

Blaise's smirk slipped off his face.

"Oh your just pure evil!" he slurred drunkenly, "no! Your worse! Your nothing more then a mean girl…… a mean… mean ….girl!"

Hermione burst into fresh peels of laughter.

"s'not funny" Blaise spluttered. Hermione just laughed harder.

"S'not funny!" the dark haired boy promptly grinned.

"Nooooo! Don't!" Hermione squealed as Blaise swiftly began to tickle her.

She jumped up and attempted to get away by diving over the back of the sofa.

Bam!

The weight of the pair scrambling over the back of the couch, had caused it to turn over backwards, sending cushions, shot glasses and the empty whisky bottle flying in all directions.

Hermione stopped giggling for a minute to survey the damage, from where she was lying under two massive cushions, Blaise lying across her, their legs tangled and his arm under her body.

She felt her breathing slow steadily, as she looked directly up at Blaise. He gazed back at her, as if taking in her every feature and it was seconds before Hermione realised she was doing the same thing.

She drank in the way his messy black hair stood up at random angles, instead of falling over his forehead, no longer tainted with his usual scowl. She noticed his eyes were a very deep blue colour, flecked wth lighter blue, making them gleam in the half light of the common room. His arms were tanned and muscular and she almost felt safe having them wrapped around her, even if it wasn't purposefully.

"Zabi-"she started to speak, t say anything to break the tension between them, when he silenced her, as he leaned toward her. Now their faces were millimetres apart, noses and foreheads touching. She parted her lips slightly; desperate to move the miniscule distance that would change everything. He too seemed to be struggling with the temptation also.

"Ouch!" their tension was broken hastily, as the last of the cushions fell off the sofa, smacking Blaise in the back of the head, causing the two to whack heads.

Blaise rolled off Hermione, who rubbed her forehead frantically, as she scrambled to her feet.

"Blaise?" she ventured softly, offering him her hand. He scowled and brushed it aside.

"I don't need any help granger" he glowered as he continued to lie amidst the cushions, scowling up at the ceiling as if he was trying to crack it in half.

Hermione flinched at the icy tone in his voice; all effects of the alcohol seemed to have drained away, leaving her feeling cold and confused.

Slowly she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom, flinging a final glance at the torn boy, who still lay still where she'd left him, then closed the door silently.

Blaise stared up at the stone ceiling of the heads common room, willing for it to open and for the lightening outside to strike him. Shakily he got to his feet, pulled out his wand and righted the furniture and made sure the cushions were replaced. He shoved the two smashed shot glasses into the trash can and went to pick up the bottle, which remained undamaged.

He hesitated however, as he reached for it, and instead of adding it to the contents of the trash, he placed it in the centre of the table that was situated between the red and green couches.

"Just a little reminder granger" he whispered darkly, before sweeping out of the portrait hole.

* * *

Why the hell is Malfoy playing the drums? Hermione awoke to a steady, raucous thumping, which she could only presume was Malfoy being a jerk this early on a Wednesday morning.

She attempted to swing her legs out from under the bed covers and found herself slumped, amidst the tangled sheets, on the floor. The thumping in her head was growing steadily worse.

"Malfoy…" she whimpered, and then stopped. Malfoy didn't own a drum kit. Nor could he play the drums. Did he even know what the drums are?

Rapidly the events of the night before started to skulk back into her mind. The bottle of whisky, destroying the common room, Blaise being so close……

"Uggghhhh!" she groaned loudly and slumped backwards onto the floor.

* * *

"Granger, what the hell were you doing up there!" Malfoy snapped as he heard her walking slowly and extremely carefully down the stairs into the common room.

"It sounded like a herd of hippogriffs!"

Once Hermione had managed to stand, she'd crashed her way into the bathroom, where she'd been considerably unwell. She'd dropped the shower whilst getting washed, sent her cosmetics clattering all over the floor and had then dropped all her books as she had picked up her school bag the wrong way up.

All in all it had not been a good morning.

Malfoy turned round to smirk at the Gryffindor, but never got the chance as he caught sight of her. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Bloody hell granger! You look bloody awful!" he exclaimed, his cool attitude vanishing in seconds.

"Thanks ferret face" Hermione grumbled, finally reaching the bottom of the staircase and swaying slightly.

"Do you have a _hangover_!" Malfoy exclaimed in complete shock.

"no" Hermione denied," just feeling a little under the weather"

"Oh so the house elves polished off this then" taunted Draco, swinging the empty bottle of whisky in front of her eyes.

Hermione blanched at the thought of the taste of the whisky and dashed upstairs again, where she promptly threw up again.

* * *

When she returned down stairs again, she found Malfoy gone and the whisky bottle sitting innocently on the table.

Pushing it aside warily, Hermione realised there was another smaller bottle lurking behind the larger empty one.

It contained a strong smelling purple substance, which appeared gloopy in texture. A small note was attached to the base of the bottle.

**_Drink this. Will help. _**

**_Fully effective in one hour. _**

_**DM**_

Hermione regarded the bottle suspiciously, then unscrewed the cap and downed the foul tasting liquid. It seared the back of her throat and she coughed violently.

She crossed the room to the mirror that hung above the fireplace and nearly shrieked, as she caught sight of her reflection.

Her hair hung limply over her shoulders, where she couldn't stomach washing it. Her eyes were bloodshot and dull and her skin dry and pasty.

"Ah Dammit" she sighed as she did something she saw she'd never do. Opening her spell book at the desired page – the only one which wasn't creased and crumpled round the edges from being read.

"Glamour spells" she read out loud, and reached for her wand.


	6. Scandals

**Chapter six:** Scandals

* * *

Blaise yawned exhaustedly as he slid into a seat next to Draco at the Slytherin table, in the great hall.

Draco raised an eyebrow at his friends drawn face.

"Late night?" he chuckled in bemusement as Blaise glowered at him, pulling a plate of sausages towards him.

"Who was it this time?" Draco inquired in his lazy drawl, making Blaise choke on his breakfast.

"What?" he spluttered, gulping down some pumpkin juice hastily.

Draco stared incredulously at him.

"The girl you were with last night – Crabbe said you didn't return to the Slytherin dormitory last night?"

Blaise shrugged.

"No one special" he replied and felt an uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. The feeling he got when he'd lied about something important. But he wasn't lying now was he. He'd been with granger, and then he'd walked round the Hogwarts grounds until early that morning, before slipping into the prefect's bathroom for a shower. He'd not been doing anything particularly meaningful, had he?

He looked up trying to catch a glimpse of Hermione. To make sure she'd recovered from the amount of alcohol they'd drunk last night. He had a feeling she'd never been drunk let alone on a spirit!

However, it was not Hermione's eye he caught, but Daphne Greengrass'. Blaise had noticed Daphne a few times before. It was hard not to, with her striking green eyes and long honey blonde hair; she was easily the prettiest girl in Slytherin.

Blaise glanced away from her green eyes, then back again, and was surprised when Daphne smiled alluringly at him. Blaise gave her a brief nod in return before turning his attention back to the Gryffindor table.

* * *

Ginny laughed as Harry fed her a piece of hot buttered toast, missing her mouth and spattering butter across her cheek.

"Hey!"

Her boyfriend yelped as she flicked pumpkin juice at him in response, and then kissed her passionately. Capturing her lips and then kissing the butter from her cheek, making her laugh again.

"Please stop it! You're making me nauseous!" Ron moaned from his seat opposite the happy couple, from where it was difficult to look anywhere but the sickening antics of his best friend and baby sister.

"That is my little sister you're drooling all over remember Harry?" Ron glowered suddenly, flexing his fingers into a fist, "I should have punched you one ages ago"

"Oh Ronald. Shut up!" Ginny silenced her overprotective brother, before feeding Harry some of the grapes from the breakfast table.

"Anyway, dear bother of mine, shouldn't you be working at your own love life?" Ginny added innocently, kicking her brother under the table and nodding towards the door of the great hall, where Hermione had just entered.

Ron blushed a deep puce and kicked Ginny back.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about" he muttered.

"No change there then" Harry snorted and Ginny burst into fresh peels of laughter.

Hermione approached the threesome and smiled sleepily.

Harry grinned at her, indicating for her to sit and pouring her a cup of tea. Ginny tensed in his arms slightly at this sight. It was little things like pouring cups of tea with the right amount of sugar and knowing what to say or what to do, like wrapping an arm around Mione's shoulder at the right time, was what made Ginny wildly jealous of the older girls' relationship with Ron and Harry. It was stupid she knew. I mean she was Harry's girlfriend now and Hermione was no threat she knew, its just she so desperately wanted to be part of that crowd. The intricately woven friendship of three. The golden trio.

Ginny tuned back into the conversation.

"Mione you look different" she heard Harry comment as he peered at her closely.

Hermione blushed.

"Okay, but you can't tell Parvati or lavender" she squirmed.

"I was feeling unwell this morning so I used a couple of glamour spells..." she groaned as Harry and Ron started to laugh. Ginny frowned in confusion.

"So what, I use them every morning" she said, unsure. Harry smiled.

"Ah yes, but mione here has proclaimed a universal dislike for glamour spells and any other form of artificial enhancement" he explained, "how ironic!" he grinned wickedly.

Ginny stared at Hermione.

"So you've never used make up or anything?" she now felt her envy swell a little. How could a girl who used nothing to enhance her looks be the apple of two of the best looking boys at Hogwarts eyes? She herself had to use concealers, mascara, and hair taming lotions just to look reasonable! Ginny took a deep breath. It wasn't that she didn't like mione – on the contrary she was a great friend – it was just everything came so easily to her.

"I like it" declared Ron finally, after he'd finished gaping at Hermione.

Hermione blushed slightly. Sometimes she wondered if any of the feelings she'd once harboured for Ron in her fourth year still existed somewhere below the surface. It would be so easy to date him, she sighed, as she twiddled a strand of her now shiny soft hair round her middle finger.

* * *

Blaise caught sight of Hermione as she entered the hall. She looked different he thought for a moment. Not like she was nursing a hangover at all. That was just as well he determined, as if she had looked quite as ghastly as himself, he would have bet good money on Draco putting two and two together.

"the mudblood looks a damn sight better, then she did earlier" commented Draco, making Blaise choke for a second time that morning.

"What?" he stammered, gawking at the blonde boy. Draco smirked.

"I do believe the bookworm is having a touch of trouble with coping with her responsibilities. I found an empty bottle of whisky in the common room this morning and a rather bedraggled looking granger" he crowed delightedly.

Blaise gulped and stood up hastily.

"I gotta go" he stammered, "herbology – miles away"

Draco stared after the other boy in mystification. He'd defiantly gotten stranger that's for sure.

* * *

Blaise slumped back against the cool outside wall of the castle and closed his eyes tightly. What the hell was happening to him, he wondered hysterically. How had he gotten into a situation involving a _mudblood. _His parents would kill him if they found out.

He took a few deep calming breaths of the chilly November air and felt himself relax mentally and physically.

There wasn't really anything to find if he was being honest. They were unwilling potions partners and had maybe had a few drinks one afternoon and that was all. It wasn't like he was parading her round Hogsmede or anything, was it.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmede with me on Saturday."

Blaise shrieked girlishly at the soft sound of a girl's voice.

Don't be granger, please don't be granger…. He prayed as he reluctantly opened one eye, to distinguish the owner of the voice.

An English rose complexion and a lot of silky ash hair came into focus.

"Daphne" he acknowledged the pretty girl in front of him. He couldn't help but notice the perfectly blended air of innocence and seduction on her china doll features. His cobalt eyes drifted down her figure, taking in her ample curves and he raising an eyebrow in bravado, he smirked up at Daphne.

"Im sorry, what did you say?" Blaise implored politely, flashing her his most charismatic smile. Daphne blushed attractively.

"I was wondering if you would take me to Hogsmede this weekend?" she simpered. Blaise's eyes glinted.

"I would be delighted to Miss Greengrass" he replied heroically, proffering his arm, which she took, in order to escort her to herbology.

* * *

After a long, tender goodbye to Harry, Ginny found herself alone in her advanced muggle studies classroom. It was her first class, as they happened on a fortnightly basis, due to lack of interest from students as well as lack of intellect for studying the finer aspects of muggle life. Muggleborn wizards found little need to attend this class and many pureblood were frustrated by the complexity that a lack of magic had on everyday tasks, and so had dropped the class in their sixth year.

It was a shame as Ginny had made many good friends in this class and had found it enjoyable to be able to show those less knowledgeable how something like a plug for instance worked.

She sighed dramatically, and swung her legs back and forth, from her position on the table top.

She'd discovered that there were only two students in her class, including herself and was curious to know which other student was interested enough in muggles to take the advanced class. Ginny's love of all things muggle had come partly from her father, who was always tinkling with something in the garage of the burrow. And partly from Harry, who always had some peculiar muggle contraption on his person when he came to visit.

He had for instance spent a fair amount of time teaching her how to play space invaders on what he called a sp2. Or was a ps2?

Oomph!

Ginny was unexpectedly thrown to the floor in astonishment as the classroom room door banged crashed wide open and in stomped Draco Malfoy, looking completely furious with life, the universe and everything.

"Ferret boy – im not quite sure what the door did to you, but I'm sure it apologizes" Ginny sulked sarcastically from the hard stone floor.

Draco shot her a contemptuous look and swept past her, to take a seat at the back of the classroom.

Ginny jumped to her feet, brushing the dust from her robes as best she could.

"I wouldn't bother Weasley, no one expects you to have clean robes" Draco's trademark drawl, caused Ginny's shoulders to tense and skin to pickle with contempt.

"Shut up Malfoy!" she hissed. "At least imp not a slimy death eater's son!" she retorted, her milky cheeks now sporting two angry red patches.

"My my weaslette, I seem to have insulted you" Draco continued, watching the youngest Weasley getting increasingly riled up.

"But its not as if I've spoken any untruth now is it?" he provoked.

Ginny grabbed her wand, ready to shout her famous bat bogey curse at the blonde boy, when her wand flew out of her grasp and into his, as the word "_expelliarmus_" were emitted lazily in Draco's deep voice.

"Hey! Not fair!" Ginny cried. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes, and cursing me at random is the height of modern morality" he mocked.

Ginny stood hands on hips as Draco walked idly towards her. He stopped when they were inches apart and inclined forward so he was whispering in her ear.

"Never ever try to curse me again _Ginny_, it may just be the last thing you ever do" There was such a dangerous undertone in his words that made Ginny shudder involuntarily.

"Such a shame that would be for such a pretty little thing, hmmm?"

Ginny glared up at Draco and then quick as a flash stomped down hard on his toe, before flouncing past him and out of the room.

"Tell Professor Vetris im sick" she commanded haughtily over her shoulder. Draco, who was rubbing his foot desperately, appeared not to have heard her.

* * *

"Ginny? GINNY?" Harry shook his girlfriend gently, trying to wake her. They were sat by the dying fire of the Gryffindor common room, Ginny with her head in Harry's lap, as he read the latest edition of "_Quidditch Monthly_". She had dozed off just as he was reading aloud the interview with England's newest beater, Derek Lewton.

The man's a genius thought Harry. Perhaps the English team might have a chance this season. _Especially_ with Wood as the captain and keeper.

Oliver Wood had succeeded in making it big in the quidditch league – his life's dream.

Ginny stirred slightly and Harry tapped her a little more forcefully on the shoulder.

"Argh! I do!" she cried, bolting upright and smacking her head on Harry's nose.

"Ahh!" Harry yelped in agony as her forehead made contact with the bridge of his nose.

Ginny cringed, embarrassedly.

"Sorry Harry" she squeaked, grabbing her wand and muttering a pain relief spell. The redness of Harry's nose rapidly ebbed away.

"By the way gin – what is it you do?" he asked curiously, causing Ginny to gaze at him in perplexity.

"Huh?" Harry grinned.

"When you woke, you cried "I do!" what on earth were you dreaming about?" he chortled.

Ginny brushed it off hastily. There was no way on earth she was going to divulge to Harry, that she had been in the middle of proclaiming to love, honour and obey him, in sickness and in health etc etc etc, when he'd woken her.

Still blushing faintly, she sat up, leaning in against Harry's shoulder.

"Sorry, why did you wake me?" she inquired kindly.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, leaving it messier then normal, and yawned sleepily.

"I was wondering, well hoping if…" he was stopped by Ginny.

"Why don't I get us some coffee from the kitchens, then well talk, okay?"

He grinned and nodded, as she placed a kiss on his forehead and left.

* * *

Ginny drummed her fingers on the smooth wooden surface of the table she was sat at in the kitchens. House elves scurried around, offering her plates of cookies as they went, which she declined.

Just as the house elf who'd taken her request appearing with a flask of coffee and a bag containing a chocolate chip and a blueberry muffin, a familiar, and unwelcome figure entered the kitchen; ducking under the low overhead beams.

"_Malfoy_" spat Ginny. "What do you want?"

Draco looked around curiously, before replying smoothly.

"I didn't know they were hiring down here Weasley. You're about the right size, but your waitress manner is _appalling_!"

Ginny blushed. "Shut up Malfoy" she muttered pushing past him.

Draco stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Move" she said flatly.

"No" he shook his head. Ginny glared mutinously up at him.

"Why don't you stay for a drink?" Draco pressed. Ginny's eyes widen in disbelief and then narrowed in suspicion.

"And why would you want me to do that?" she retorted, hiding her confusion in her vicious tone.

Draco shrugged.

"I need to fill you in on our muggle studies project" he replied and Ginny didn't know why this made her feel disappointed somehow.

"_Plus_ of course, you've gotta a lot of spunk – you say what you think and I admire that" Draco finished, leaving the red head gawping at him.

"So, what's your poison?"

And Ginny had no choice but to follow him back into the kitchens and take a seat opposite him.

By the time Ginny returned to the common room, Harry was sleeping heavily on the sofa where she'd left him.

She suddenly felt like the adulterous one in a relationship, creeping in late from a secret tryst with a lover. Except it had been Draco - _Malfoy_ she corrected. And it had been hot chocolate in the kitchens, not a romantic tryst. Heaven forbid she have a secret tryst with a Slytherin, although, she brooded, Draco – _Malfoy_! - wasn't bad looking.

She shook herself mentally for a second, before curling up on the couch next to Harry.

This was where she belonged. With Harry. The boy she'd been in love with since she was ten years old. _Harry._

She brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes and unwillingly found herself wondering what it would feel like to touch Draco's ash blonde hair.

She sighed, uneasily. She was being ridiculous. She just needed some sleep.

* * *

A/N: Oooooh! How exciting! What developments! Harry and Ginny are dating, but Ginny's thinking about Draco. Blaise is taking Daphne to Hogsmede, when you all thought he was gonna kiss Hermione! Fooled you! Ha ha! So with Blaisey, Drakie, Ginny, and Hazzer all tied up, whose gonna move in on our mione? Huh?

It's such a soap opera.

Oh and don't think I've forgotten Blaise's letter, Harry's impromptu although depressing trip to his parents graves and house or the potions project. The next chapter should deal with them all and introduce some new dilemmas! Happy reading!

_**REVIEW! **_


	7. Uncharacteristically Your's

A/N: Nice suggestions reviewers! Some are on track and some are so very wrong! Ha ha! Imp not about to go down all those usual clichés – never fear! So introducing chappie seven! Oooooh! It's so exciting!

* * *

Chapter Seven: Uncharacteristically Yours_

* * *

We can weave we can unravel  
we keep on sleeping  
Right though our travels  
we can weave we can unravel  
Take our confusion to a  
Much higher level_

_While you are away  
my heart comes undone  
slowly unravels  
in a ball of yarn  
the devil collects it  
with a grin  
our love  
in a ball of yarn _

he'll never return it

* * *

Hermione snuck another sly glance at the boy walking beside her. It was Wednesday evening and she was doing her patrol of the corridors with Blaise.

There was an uneasiness that had fallen over the pair, as they walked in silence; however it was a feeling Hermione had grown to expect since the incident between them, over four weeks ago. They spoke only when necessary when working on their potion, which was taking shape nicely, and when patrolling. Not that Hermione minded much. She was both embarrassed and confused over the issue and the silence helped her to gather her thoughts without Blaise adding anything to the equation.

Hermione ducked into a disused classroom that McGonagall had asked them to double check for her, and found nothing a miss, except a couple of upturned chairs. She righted them swiftly and spun round to join Blaise again who she presumed was waiting outside as he normally did. She knew exactly how he would be standing; leaning against the wall, one leg bent at the knee, foot parallel to the stone work, hands thrust deep into his pockets.

"Whoa steady" Blaise clutched Hermione's shoulders firmly, as she turned and fell after nearly walking straight into him.

"Sorry" she apologized meekly, blushing faintly. She could see the taught muscles in his arm as he righted her and had no idea why her knees had suddenly seemed to turn to jelly.

"Okay?" Blaise asked her softly and she nodded, her stomach sinking as he dropped his grip on her and turned away, leaving the classroom.

She followed him acquiescently, until he stopped abruptly, and she walked into the back of him, making her fall backwards; apart from this time Blaise did not react quick enough and she hit the floor with a thud.

"Hermione? There's something I –"Blaise started then stopped in surprise when he turned round and took in the sight of her sprawled on the stone floor.

"Sorry" it was he who apologized this time, and he outstretched a hand to help her up.

Hermione shook her head stubbornly.

"It's fine, I don't need help" she was unwilling to depend on someone who confused her this much. It would only lead to more confusion she sighed.

Blaise frowned.

"Don't be ridiculous" he stated, leaning forward to grab her hand, whilst she protested.

"I can mange"

"c'mon" Blaise grabbed her hand pulling her to her feet in one swift motion, then jumped back warily as a jolt of electricity shot through their entwined finger tips.

The pair stared at each other for what seemed an age, before Blaise spoke.

"I …" he faltered then swallowed and turned away, stalking defiantly down the corridor, blasting open classroom doors with his wand, making light work of their patrol duties.

Hermione shivered and set about following Blaise's footsteps, a look of perplexity on marring her features.

* * *

A fine mist of rain had fallen over the grounds of Hogwarts as the students hurried their way to Hogsmede on Saturday morning.

Hermione huddled deeper into the gigantic yellow Weasley sweater, which had once belonged to Charlie and was now Ron's. She breathed in its comforting smell. Shampoo and lemon. Ron's scent. She had always found relief when wrapped up in one of Ron's or Harry's sweater or giant quidditch shirts. They just felt like home she thought endearingly; not caring how sentimental she was being.

"You warm enough?" Ron shouted above the noise of the trundling footsteps of their fellow alumni. Hermione nodded, and then slipped her arm through his, feeling him tighten his grip on hers and clutch her hand, inside the pocket of his jacket. Hermione glanced round to catch sight of Harry and Ginny, and grinned as she saw them a few steps behind, Harry's arm thrown protectively round his girlfriends' shoulders. She'd never seen him so happy Hermione brooded happily. Ginny as well although she always seemed to be a touch distant nowadays. Although Harry hadn't noticed.

Shaking off these feelings of preoccupation, Hermione turned back to catch Ron's eye. He smiled warmly and she returned it, feeling him squeeze her hand lightly, pulling her closer towards him, making her feel even more at home.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was sulking. He did not sulk often, finding nothing really to sulk about. But when he did decide to sulk he did it with great energy and effort.

He was rather glad it was raining as it added to his dark doom and gloom aura and that his special heavy black robe was clean as it made him feel especially ominous.

He walked shoulders hunched, feet dawdling; arms crossed and head down, a sullen expression on his pale face.

Ah yes, Draco Malfoy could have sulked for Britain.

"How is it dear friend of mine, that the girl you're crazy about is with the guy you hate?" Draco did not need to look up to distinguish his unwanted companion.

"Zabini, have I ever told you that you talk a load of bollocks?" he replied dryly.

Blaise appeared thoughtful for a minute.

"Several times I do believe Draco, several times"

"Good"

Blaise grinned innocently.

"So you don't admit you're crazy about her then?" he said in all seriousness.

Draco lifted his head to shoot his friend a piercing look.

"No I will merely confirm my hatred for potter" he replied causing Blaise to shake his head.

"Have I ever told you that you talk bollocks, Malfoy?" he asked in all innocence.

"Sod off"

* * *

"Trouble?" Blaise returned quickly to the side of Daphne, who'd been waiting patiently up ahead whilst he'd exchanged insults with Draco.

He grinned and shook his head.

"Nah, just Malfoy being Malfoy" he replied, taking her hand in his, entwining his fingers with her delicate ones.

He was lucky he guessed, as a group of raven claws passed them, shooting him envious looks and trying to catch Daphne's eye. Daphne was stunning; Dressed – a little inappropriately for the November weather Blaise thought briefly – in a pale blue shirt, white skirt and silver edged duffle coat, she looked every inch a Zabini's girlfriend. Her pale blonde hair was caught up in an intricate twist of curls at the nape of her neck and every now and then a few strands would escape, flying around her head. Each time this happened she would stop and twist them back up; something he should have found endearing but actually found it more then tedious.

As the rounded the corner into Hogsmede a flurry of yellow caught his eye. Cocking his head to his left he saw Hermione looking so vulnerable and innocent, it made his stomach plummet in concern. She seemed to be on her own, waiting for someone and for a peculiar reason he suddenly wished it were him.

However moments later, Ronald Weasley, one of her best friends, strode into sight, and wrapped an arm round her, pulling her into a warming hug, and he watched her visibly relax into him.

"Ugh!" Blaise grunted as he kicked a pebble hard at a nearby wall, which it hit with a resounding _smack!_

"You okay honey?" Daphne angelic voice made him spring back to reality and sanity and he turned to face her nodding.

Then suddenly, his lips were on her's, capturing the flavour of their sweet sugary Taste, pulling her closer to him and wrapping her within the folds of his jacket.

When he pulled away breathless and no more fulfilled then before the kiss, he caught Hermione's gaze and found the expression of …….was that…. Envy? In her eyes, more suffocating then anything he had experienced yet.

Grabbing Daphne's hand, he stalked into the village, feeling Hermione's eyes burning into his back as he retreated.

He was fighting and yet he was losing not only this battle, but this war.

* * *

"Okay guys, sorry to add a depressing air to the proceedings"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were seated round a table in the corner of the very crowded three broomsticks.

"here you are guys!" madam Rosemerta interrupted Harry's train of thought for a second as she passed out bottles of butter beer and pumpkin pasties, which were met with ravenous glee.

After she'd bustled off, Harry continued.

"Ive been thinking more about what we were discussing at the start of term…. You know about my parents and stuff"

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances. They had hoped this was just a phase.

"Ginny did you want to go and –"Ron started meaningfully and Harry raised a hand to stop him.

"I want Ginny to be involved Ron" he reprimanded his friend, not unkindly, causing Ginny to smile and clutch Harry's hand a little tighter and Ron to look slightly abashed.

"Oh, okay mate, your call" he shrugged.

Harry rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled note book.

"ive been doing some research into how difficult It would be to get to Godric's hollow and we could take the train from Hogsmede station to gurney cove and then the knight bus to Godric's hollow"

Hermione broke Harry's constant stream of speech.

"Harry? Are you sure you want to do this? It could be very risky, you know with Voldemort and the death eater's around. And when will you have the time with classes etc?" she whispered in an anxious tone.

Harry frowned slightly.

"Hermione the death eaters haven't been seen for months and it's only about a couple of hour's journey away from Hogwarts. It's hardly dangerous!" he insisted, looking suddenly saddened.

"Listen guys I really want to – sorry need to do this. And I need your support" he pleaded, his green eyes filling unexpectedly and he hastily wiped them with a furious fist.

Hermione broke the silence that had descended over the quartet.

"Alright then. I always promised to support you on this and I will. But it will need careful planning if you wanted me to….?" She trailed off. Harry smiled warmly at her.

"That would be great thanks mione" he murmured.

"Yeah alright mate. I always up for a bit of death eater dodging" Ron chimed in, slapping Harry in a congenial manner on the shoulder.

"Ginny?" Harry turned to her. The redhead smiled up at her boyfriend challengingly.

"Goes without saying" she replied.

* * *

"No Daphne, I have to go home for the holidays" Blaise sighed exasperatedly for what seemed the millionth time at his girlfriends pestering. Since the Hogsmede weekend, things had changed at Hogwarts.

Professor Snape had for one been called away several times, forcing the deadline for the potions project into January. This had caused a sigh of relief for many, Blaise and Hermione not included as their potion lay finished and bottled in the back of Hermione's wardrobe.

The whereabouts of Snape's destination or the reasons for his departures had not been divulged and they were not meant to ask.

Also Blaise had become more involved with Daphne and although she made a rather exquisite piece of arm candy, he found her dull and bothersome. His parents had been however over the moon when they had heard the news and had invited Daphne for Christmas lunch at the Zabini citadel that year.

Daphne had been overjoyed at the invite and had accepted without question.

She had not accepted however the fact that Blaise was expected to spend all of his holiday at the family home. Especially when there were such important plans to carry out this year.

Blaise shuddered as he remembered the letter his father had sent him earlier in the year, informing him that the dark lord himself had requested his company at the ritual death eater summit that Christmas Eve. It really wasn't how Blaise had pictured the festive holiday.

Blaise turned to face Daphne after he'd finished throwing his clothes into his trunk, which was positioned at the foot of his bed.

She always looked rather marvellous when she was angry he mused. Her blonde hair was flying round her delicate shoulders as she bristled with tension; her eyes flashing.

"Don't be angry" Blaise murmured, "I have to do my family duty" he explained, wishing that he didn't have a girlfriend who was in need of such high maintenance.

He tilted her chin up with his thumb and slowly kissed her, trailing his lips down her neck and shoulder, feeling her relax completely. How easy it was to gain forgiveness when you were such a good kisser, he thought with glee as she pulled him towards the four poster.

* * *

"Okay is everyone ready?" Hermione had self elevated herself to chief in command as Harry and Ron sat slumped on one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room. The Hogwarts express would be leaving for kings cross in an hour.

"Hermione, how exactly are we going to get on the train?" Harry sighed. Only students who were going home for the holiday's cold leave the castle.

Hermione grinned.

"I told McGonagall we were going home and I told the Weasley's that we were staying here, so there shouldn't be any problem at all" she explained.

"Devious I like it!" declared Ron, who was looking very much like he'd rather be going home in actuality.

Harry got to his feet, glancing round the common.

"Where's Ginny?" he asked curiously. Hermione shrugged. She had been wondering the same thing for a while.

"I suppose she'll meet us on the train" she said finally, slinging her bag over one shoulder.

"C'mon well miss it"

The two boys go to their feet and ducked out of the common room after her; Harry still wore his frantic worry lines on his tired face.

"She'll be there mate" Ron reassured him quietly and Harry nodded. He knew she would be; she loved him, of course she would be.

* * *

"So well discuss the trip to London when were back at school?" Ginny inquired of the boy standing beside her. She was leaning against the thick trunk of a willow tree in the Hogwarts grounds, its sweeping leaves and branches creating an ideal inlet of privacy.

Draco shrugged and then nodded.

"Yeah okay Weasley" he agreed, leaving her side and walking towards the sheet of branches, that shielded them from the world outside, and Ginny's stomach sunk.

It had been strange forming a partnership with Draco, but it had been quite familiar in the end. They still called each other by their last names and threw the odd insult, but it was different. The atmosphere between them had shifted and Ginny found that she preferred his company then not.

Ginny bent down to fasten her bag and then slung it over her shoulders, righting herself once again; and was surprised that Draco still stood where he had been five minutes ago.

"You okay?" concern echoed in her voice and Draco sighed.

"No" he answered, "no im not"

Ginny gave a small yelp of surprise as he uncertainly placed his lips on hers.

* * *

Hermione finished storing their bags on the parcel shelves above their heads in the last empty compartment of the Hogwarts express, and then rubbed a small clear patch on the misty window, peering out into the dark rainy afternoon.

A flash of red hair caught her eye and she sighed in relief.

Minutes later, Ginny burst through the compartment door, her red curls drenched and hanging limply down her back. Harry beamed at her, throwing his dry cloak over her shoulders and pouring her some of the hot chocolate from Hermione's hot flask.

"Thanks Harry. Sorry im late. Got held up talking about a project with a friend" It wasn't the whole truth she deliberated, but close enough to save the heartbreak that would no doubt ensue if she relayed the actual events of this afternoon.

_

* * *

Ginny gave a small yelp of surprise as he uncertainly placed his lips on hers._

_For a second she found herself kissing him back, then stopped, shoving him from her, suddenly furious._

"_What the hell was that!" she yelled, hands on hips and eyes flashing._

_Draco smirked, "I believe it's called a kiss weaslette" he drawled, causing her blood to boil. _

_Draco shrugged. "I don't know Weasley, there's something about you, that I just cant put my finger on, and it – oh hell I don't have to explain myself to you!" he spat, shoving aside the branches of the willow and stalking out into the rain, which was falling heavily now; casting dark shadows over the grounds._

_Ginny slumped back against the rough trunk of the tree, catching her thoughts, deep sobs racking her body._

_How had she managed to mess up quite this badly? She'd finally gotten everything she'd wanted and now she was on the verge of screwing it up._

_The trouble was that she couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was always second best in Harry's eyes and number one in Draco's. And she liked how that felt._

* * *

The train heaved a sigh as it pulled out of the small station of Hogsmede and Hermione pulled out her book, curling her legs up under her chin and resting the book on them.

Ron watched her fondly from the seat opposite. She looked so content when she was reading he had always thought, as though real life had taken a back seat and all that mattered was the words on the page.

He watched her push a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and felt his stomach flip.

"Why don't you just tell her mate?" Ron jumped at Harry's words. He shook his head.

"Tell her what?" he brushed off, and then pulled out a set of wizards chess from his bag.

"Want a game?"

Harry shrugged and slipped off the seat to join Ron on the floor where he was setting up the chess board.

* * *

"Yes! I win! You suck you suck! You suck you suck!"

Harry grabbed his jumper and slung it at Ron, whose incessant victory chants were getting more then a little annoying. Ron grinned as Harry's jumper whizzed past his head and smacked Hermione in the face.

"What -? "She jumped, falling off the seat, arms flailing wildly.

"Harry potter! What on earth do you think you're up to?" she started to launch into her disrespect – for – those – who – care – about – you speech (the long version), when the train shuddered to a halt.

Ron shot a glance at Harry, who dispatched a quizzical look in return.

"Why have we stopped?" Ginny who had been fast asleep on the seat nearest the door, rubbed her eyes and peered at the trio in puzzlement.

"This is our stop" Hermione faltered, peering intently out of the dark window. A battered sign reading "Gurney cove" swung in the wind, as the four teenagers clambered off the train and onto the deserted platform.

"Should we call the night bus?" Ron whispered, as he glanced around the platform, which boasted no ticket office or guards; just one lone bench and its sign.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, it's too late to go to Godric's hollow tonight. Well find someplace to stay for tonight and head off that way in the morning. That way we should be back for Christmas morning to grab our presents from your mum Ron and no one will know any different" she decided.

If one of the teachers realised there were presents arriving for them from their parents, they would know they weren't at the burrow for Christmas. She hated to think how much trouble they would be in.

Harry lit his wand and taking Ginny's hand, led them out of the station and down the muddy lane towards what they guessed was the town.

* * *

"There's gotta be somewhere with vacancies!" exclaimed Ron in frustration. He stopped, causing Hermione to walk into him.

"Owww! Ron don't just stop!" she moaned, rubbing her shoulder.

"Look lets try over there, it's the last place in this part of the town"

The girls and Ron followed Harry to the door of the well lit inn and he pushed open the oak door.

They entered the bar, which still hosted a few late night drinkers, and Harry approached the elderly bartender, whose ear hair grew out in clouds of grey, making him appear rather comical.

"Er… hi" Harry began and the wizened old tender, rested one beady eye on the young wizard.

"A room I take it?" he croaked wearily. Harry looked rather taken aback for second then nodded.

The man took two rusty keys off their hooks from behind the bar and slid them across the bar to Harry.

"Two twin rooms, numbers 122 and 121. First floor, on your right. Three galleons and eight sickles a night" he wheezed slowly.

Harry turned to Hermione who pulled out a handful of coins, which Harry counted out eight galleons.

"That should cover it"

He scooped up the keys and turned to the others.

"Ron, share with Ginny, ill bunk with mione" he determined and Ron nodded.

"Thought you were gonna attempt to bunk with my little sister for a minute Harry" he chuckled and Harry blushed. No way was he going to tell Ron that had been his original plan.

* * *

Hermione gazed unimpressed round the tiny bedroom. Twin room her arse!

Two rickety beds were shoved together taking up the majority of the floor space and there was a dusty chair and dressing table in one corner; a cracked mirror hung above the table on the rusty hook.

Hermione entered the bathroom to discover a leaky shower, a cracked basin and toilet, and hurriedly brushed her teeth and changed, joining Harry who was laid out on the bed covers.

She wrinkled her nose at him and he grinned.

"Should have seen the cupboard I lived in for ten years mione." He joked, "This place is like a palace compared to that!"

Hermione laughed and relaxed, crossing the room to the bed and clambering onto it next to Harry. She crossed her legs and tied her hair into an untidy knot at the nape of her neck.

"Mione" Harry spoke after a few minutes of silence. And she raised an eyebrow at him, urging him to continue.

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

Hermione bit her lip for a minute in thought.

"Yeah, I mean ive planned it carefully so I don't think well get in trouble"

"No, me wanting to see my parent's house and stuff?" Harry corrected her dully.

"Oh"

The pair fell into silence again for a minute, and then she spoke again.

"Yes I do. I think you'd regret it if you never paid your respects to your parents and you didn't see the house in which you were born. I think it's a brave and courageous idea and also one that although may be upsetting, will put you at rest" she said, choosing her words carefully.

"Especially since Sirius …." She added softly, and Harry nodded.

"I took this, the night he die-… he left" Harry said, pulling a key from his pocket.

"It's the key to my parent's house. I found it in his things and sort of kept it with me"

Harry looked up and caught her eye and neither of them said a word. There was no need to say anything.

Then Hermione climbed beneath the sheets of the bed and Harry followed suit.

"Hermione?"

"Yes Harry?"

"When are you and Ron going to get together?"

"What!"

"Oh c'mon, he likes you, do you like him?"

"I always have done you know that"

"But do you like him enough to do anything about it?"

Hermione didn't answer. She didn't have a clue. She'd always fancied Ron and they always assumed they'd get together, but now there was something making her hesitate and she didn't know what that was.

_**Blaise.**_

But he was with Daphne Greengrass, and it wasn't as if they were even close or friends for that matter. The couple of incidents that had happened couldn't be enough to put an end to something that might turn out to be so good with Ron.

As she lay there in the dark, Harry sleeping beside her, Hermione made up her mind, once and for all.

* * *

"Ginny?" Hermione whispered. Neither Ginny nor Ron had been asleep and Ginny was sat on the bed, whilst Ron took a shower.

Ginny smiled.

"Made up your mind have you mione?" she laughed.

Hermione blushed.

"Maybe" she muttered, "would you?"

"Go sleep with my boyfriend? Why that's an awful lot to ask mione!" Ginny mocked, narrowly missing Hermione's friendly swat, as she jumped off the bed; winking at the older girl as she darted down the corridor.

"Ginny whers – mione! What are you doing here? Where's Ginny? Did she ask you to switch cause if she did imp gonna – "

"Ron shut up" Hermione laughed, becoming suddenly aware of the fact that Ron was dressed only in his boxers and that his hair was wet, making him oh – so - appealing.

"No actually I asked to switch" she said softly and Ron frowned then cocked a grin at her.

"Does this mean…?" he asked, stepping towards her, placing his hands on her waist.

"Only if you promise to behave yourself Mr. Weasley!" she commanded, trying to keep a straight face and failing.

Ron smirked, in a disturbingly reminiscent Malfoy way.

"Im sorry I can't promise anything"


	8. For Reasons Unknown

Chapter Eight: For Reasons Unknown

* * *

_I don't wanna say I'm sorry_

_'Cos I know there is nothing wrong_

_Don't be afraid there is no need to worry_

_'Cos my feelings for you are still strong_

_Hold me in your arms_

_And never let me go_

_Hold me in your arms_

_'Cos I need you so_

_I can see it in your eyes_

_There is something_

_Something you wanna tell me_

_I see it in your eyes_

_There is something_

_That you hide for me_

_Is there a reason why_

_There is something_

_Something you wanna tell me_

_I see it in your eyes_

_There is something_

_That you hide from me_

* * *

Hermione blinked rapidly as she opened her eyes, to find the morning light streaming through the open curtains that covered the dusty pane of glass that was the room's window.

She turned over, stretching, and smiled as she came face to face with Ron, who was still fast asleep.

Moving carefully, she stood up on the bed, and tried to step over his sleeping frame.

"Mione?"

"Ahh!" Hermione shrieked startled and promptly slipped over, landing awkwardly on top of Ron, who smirked.

"You've gotta stop with the smirking Ron! You look like Malfoy" she laughed, suddenly becoming aware of her less the moral position on top of her boyfriend.

Boyfriend? Is that what Ron was now? The idea frightened her for the briefest of seconds. Was it normal to feel so unsure?

"Er…. Mione?" Ron spoke up suddenly and Hermione looked down at him questioningly.

"Could you move, d'you think – my leg is going numb"

"Oh! Right sorry!" Hermione blushed, tumbling off him and back on to the bed. She lay there for a minute listening to the sound of her breathing slowing back to normal speed.

"Mione?" Hermione turned to look at Ron again, who had propped himself up on his elbow and was gazing intently at her.

"Yeah" she whispered. Ron reached across, tucking a stray twirl of her hair behind her ear and then left his hand there, thumb absent mindedly stroking her cheek. She bit her lip, never breaking eye contact, and tentatively, Ron leaned forward, placing the softest of kisses on her lips. He pulled back unsure, before Hermione tilted her chin up, kissing him back.

Rap Rap Rap!

They broke apart as a loud knocking was heard on their door.

"Its open!" yelled Ron, breaking the magical quietness of their embrace. The door opened and Harry walked in, Ginny's arms wrapped round his neck and legs round his waist in a piggy back style. Harry walked over to the bed, ditching his girlfriend over his shoulder onto it.

"Morning lovebirds!" Ginny sang, from her crumpled position on the bed and Harry grinned.

"Sleep well?" he teased and Ron threw a pillow at him.

"Hey! Don't do that! These pillows are filthy!" he yelped and Hermione grimaced. Nearly three galleons a night! Rip off!

"Ginny as you two are ready, can I use your shower?" Hermione clambered over Ron and off the bed. Ginny nodded.

"me and Harry are gonna find some breakfast – well bring you some back okay guys?" she added then shrieked with laughter as Harry slung her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and tickling her as they left the room. You could still hear her shrieks from down the stairs.

Ron closed the door, shaking his head in bemusement and heard the shower start from next doors bathroom.

Spontaneously he grinned and punched the air.

"Yes! Yes yes!" he yelled mutely as he did a little dance of celebration. He'd finally gotten Hermione! He was dating mione!

"Oomph!" he landed with a thud as he tripped over the tangled bedcover on the floor and grimaced as he smacked his elbow on the bedpost.

"Bloody victory dance"

* * *

Blaise glowered at his reflection in the mirror of his wardrobe. He looked a fright! Dressed head to toe in the Zabini dress robes; jet black, with a silky satin lining in the colour of buttermilk, he felt like a trussed up doll.

"Bloody Death eater meeting! Bloody death eaters!" He stopped grumbling to himself as a sharp rap on the bedroom door, caught his attention.

He nearly added "bloody parents" to his list of all things bloody but restrained himself as he opened the door to let in his father.

Mr. Zabini was a tall, lanky man, with a thin, lined face and a long greasy nose. He wore his own version of the dress robes Blaise was sporting and they looked, Blaise noted with glee, just as terrible as his own.

"Blaise, are you ready?" his fathers stern voice had always manage to make Blaise stand to attention, even if he was just greeting him.

Blaise nodded and his father straightened his collar – the most affection he ever showed towards Blaise. Ah well, he could have been adopted by worse people Blaise thought satanically.

He had never known his parents and had been told his biological father had died and his mother had been only fifteen when he was born and was too young to deal with a child. He had been given no names. All he had was a battered photograph of his teenaged mother, which he had stolen from his file, when he visited the orphanage once to collect the papers he would need for Hogwarts.

The girl in the photo was hard to make out and Blaise couldn't, even with magic, better the resolution of it. However it hardly mattered who his biological parents were. He had been raised a Zabini, a pure-blooded wizard; with a destiny to fulfil.

Blaise followed his father down the stone steps from the turret room which housed Blaise's quarters.

They made their way into Mr. Zabini's study, where Blaise's mother was waiting. Mrs. Zabini was an exceptionally beautiful woman, with a sheet of long black hair and vivid grey eyes and the palest of skin. She smiled at Blaise as he entered and swooped down to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Hello darling" she smiled and Blaise smiled back. This was his true family. His father may have been stern and unaffectionate and his mother may have been incredibly busy all the time, but they loved him. They wouldn't have adopted him if they hadn't…..

Mr. Zabini was holding out his arm to his wife and son, and they took it, holding on tightly. He flinched as what Blaise knew was his dark mark blazed suddenly and within an instant had transported them to the side of lord Voldemort.

* * *

"You okay to leave Harry?"

Hermione approached Harry's silent figure in the quiet darkness of the bedroom that had once belonged to lily and James potter. The four had reached the house this afternoon and Hermione, Ron and Ginny had waited outside as Harry unlocked the front door, with its peeling red paint and slipped inside.

Three hours had passed and Hermione had decided to check on Harry. Once inside the house, she'd realised what Harry had been doing. When they had arrived, they could make out the tell tale signs of the fight between the potters and Voldemort; smashed vases, upturned tables and broken ornaments. Now however, the house was clean and tidy. The broken china had been swept up and the once dusty dining table was sparkling. Hermione had made her way up the staircase to the first floor and found Harry standing very still in his parent's room.

Harry turned to look at her with hollow swollen eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, lets go" he whispered, slipping past her. She could hear his footsteps echoing down the stairs and the front door being unlatched.

She stood for a moment in the bedroom, taking in the sight of the newly made bed and the plant pot that Harry had obviously attempted to mend. She flicked her wand at it, hiding the indicative cracks and left.

"Okay?" she asked no one in particular and everyone shrugged or nodded. Harry fingered the letter, he taken from his mother's dressing table drawer, and felt a tingle spread through his body. This letter was from his mum, written by her, for him. He pushed it deeper into his pocket, desperately frightened of losing it.

* * *

They walked in silence down the narrow twisting roads that Hermione claimed led to their destination.

Godric's hollow grave yard.

The towering eerie church stood out drenched in shadow and casting alarming shapes over the grounds, which seemed to stretch for miles.

Harry walked purposefully ahead of his friends; of whom Ginny was clutching desperately to her brothers hand.

The trees overhead thickened and the path narrowed and they kept walking.

Harry stopped.

Hermione made to step forward but Ron held her back, shaking his head.

Two marble headstones stood before them, baring the names:

Lily Potter

James Potter

"You really don't want to be here"

Hermione emitted a shrill shriek, and a hand was clamped over her mouth, quick as a flash. She whirled around and looked deep into the eyes of Blaise Zabini.

Gasping as he removed his hand, she stared wildly at him.

"What? Why? What are you doing here?" she gabbled incoherently.

Blaise motioned for her to quieten down and she did so, suddenly trusting him with every fibre in her body.

"Listen carefully. There is something going on tonight that you will not want to be part of believe me" Blaise shot a worried glance over his shoulder before continuing.

"Ill explain when we get back to school next week, but for now you need to get back to Hogsmede" he pulled a silver wristwatch out of his pocket and thrust it into Hermione's hands.

"This is my emergency port key – use it okay?" he insisted.

Ron, who had been dying to speak for the past five minutes, exploded.

"Why should we trust you? Why would you help us?" he hissed through the darkness.

Blaise stared him down.

"I wouldn't help you. But I would help Hermione" he answered coolly and Ron turned to give Hermione a curious look, but she ignored him, still gazing intently at Blaise.

"Take it" he ordered and they all grabbed the watch.

Blaise darted a cautious look around the grave yard, then pulled out his wand.

"Activos!" he muttered and the wrist watch glowed silver. Moments later the familiar feeling of being hooked just above the navel flooded over the group.

Oomph!

Hermione landed with the thud on top of Ron.

"Sorry!" she rolled off him and got to her feet.

"What was Zabini up to?" asked Ron as he peered curiously at Hermione, who was spinning round as if she'd lost something.

Suddenly she yelped, her hands springing to her face in shock.

"Ron! Where's Harry!"

* * *

Blaise stared for a minute at the spot where the figures of the Gryffindor's had stood previously. It had been dark but he had seen the look of trust and complete faith on Hermione's face.

"Zabini? What are you doing here?"

Blaise jumped startled and spun round.

"Ah fuck" he groaned as out of the shadows came Harry potter.

* * *

"Potter – why the hell didn't you get the port key with your friends!" Blaise hissed, frantically.

Harry just looked non- plussed.

"Im sorry – what!" he asked, running a hand through his jet black hair.

Blaise groaned.

"Potter – you can't be here! Not tonight!" the Slytherin was surprised at his own compassion for a boy he was supposed to hate. He did not want to be responsible for his death.

"Get out of here now potter and fast!" Blaise urged, shoving Harry in the back.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked distractedly.

Blaise needn't have even begun to answer as a dark figure loomed from behind him.

"Ah Mr. Zabini, I do believe your son has excelled himself in my services already"

Harry froze as he heard the voice that had haunted his dreams and nightmares since he was eleven years old. In the moment of silence that passed he couldn't help but think he was going to die. Right here, right now, in front of his parents graves.

They were going to witness how weak he really was – his final failing.

No….

He refused to shed his blood on his parents' graves. Not his own anyway. Not tonight.

Slowly he turned around and faced the slit nose and squinty red eyes that had burnt themselves on his mind.

"Ah Tom riddle. Lovely evening for it hmmm?"

Blaise was stunned at Harry's ability to be sarcastic just before he was going to die. That was something he expected of Draco not Harry potter.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at Harry's reminder of his muggle fathers' name and turned to Blaise.

"Master Zabini, would you care to explain how potter came to be here tonight?"

Blaise gulped.

"I…. erm…."

"What's going on Blaise, I thought we were friends. You said we were going to work on out potions project!"

Harry suddenly reeled off a furious train of ideas, yelling at the boy beside him, who looked just as terrified as he believed himself to look.

Voldemort cackled manically and stopped just as abruptly as he had started.

"Ropereo!" he hissed and ropes wound their way up Harry's arms and legs, binding him in mid air. He seemed to drift along behind Voldemort as they entered a clearing in the trees, not too far from his parent's graves.

His eyes widened as he took in the sight of thirty hooded death eaters standing in a circle around three very limp, pale and decidedly dead bodies.

He spotted a couple of familiar faces in the crowd, namely Draco Malfoy and Crabbe, and turned to stare frantically at Blaise, who lowered his eyes to the ground.

Voldemort stopped in the centre of the circle of his followers and sent Harry a gloating look that made his blood freeze.

Blaise stood there silently. He had tried, he hadn't wanted this to happen –even if he was supposed to hate potter he didn't or couldn't. He was Hermione's friend at the very least.

He stood very still, concentrating on finding a distraction. If only the muggles in the nearby village were roused, then maybe……

He jumped as he heard the distant sound of glass smashing. Lots of glass. It was followed by the sound of raised voices, screaming and sirens. Blaise looked up intrigued, and saw panic on the faces of the death eaters.

A short, stocky hooded figure stepped forward. Wormtail.

"My lord, the muggles are awake. All the glass in their houses has smashed…!" he sounded disbelieving as he spoke he words.

"They may come to check the church my lord"

Voldemort narrowed his bloodshot eyes and swept across the clearing to Harry's bound body.

Voldemort raised his wand, pointing it directly at Harry, and then paused.

"No…" he muttered, stepping backwards.

The death eaters exchanged quizzical glances.

"I can feel it again tonight, just like the last time. What is it you carry that causes such protection boy?"

Harry stood very still. His thoughts were flashing through his mind at the swiftness of a speeding bullet.

The letter.

His mind finally rested on the only thing he could think of. His mother's letter. Had it given him some of the protection that his mother had saved him by seventeen years previous?

Harry watched as Voldemort retreated, not daring to lose the power he had fought so hard to regain these past years. The death eaters were leaving too as the sound of sirens reached the church car park and Harry sighed with relief.

Suddenly he was all alone, lying in the graveyard where his parents rested, but still clinging to life. And without warning a flood of silent tears slid down his face.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice lifted him out of his despair and fright for a second before he dissolved into it once again.


	9. Lies Of Comfort

Chapter Nine: Lies Of Comfort

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_Is it still me that makes you sweat?  
Am I who you think about in bed?  
When the lights are dim and your hands are shaking as you're sliding off your dress?  
Then think of what you did  
And how I hope to God he was worth it.  
When the lights are dim and your heart is racing as your fingers touch your skin.  
I've got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck  
Than any boy you'll ever meet, sweetie you had me  
Girl I was it, look past the sweat, a better love deserving of  
Exchanging body heat in the passenger seat?  
No, no, no, you know it will always just be me_

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Harry lay wide awake on top of the covers of his four poster in the seventh year dormitory. It was well past two am and he could hear the steady content breathing of his fellow Gryffindor's. He, it seemed, was the only one who couldn't sleep.

Two weeks had passed since that night in Godric's hollow, but he couldn't for the life of him get the relaying scenes out of his weary mind, as he stared up at the dark canopy above his bed.

He slowly and quietly slid off his bed and crossed to the dormitory window, which was open slightly allowing a cool breeze to whip across his drawn face.

He squinted as a dark figure came into view, striding across the shadows of the Hogwarts ground and Harry felt a feeling of panic well up in his throat. He relaxed as he recognised the figure as Malfoy's arrogant self. Malfoy walking the darkened grounds wasn't a completely relaxing thought, but it was better the some death eater or Voldemort himself.

Clasping the letter he'd taken from his parents' house, Harry made his way back to bed. Safe in the knowledge that if someone did attack the grounds, at least they'd kill ferret face first.

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Draco slipped underneath the branches of the weeping willow, bathing its trunk in moonlight for the briefest of seconds.

He smirked as the silhouette was suddenly revealed.

"I didn't think you'd come" he said, lighting his wand, bathing them both in its soft golden light.

Ginny shrugged then smiled.

"Me neither" she murmured, staring up at Draco intently, daring him to come closer.

Draco Malfoy wasn't one to ignore that sort of challenge, any sort of challenge and stepped closer, until their faces were centimetres away.

Ginny gulped, suddenly purged with a feeing of guilt; and she pulled away abruptly.

"I thought this was what I wanted………….. I mean, I thought I knew………but its not….." she stumbled over her words, desperately trying to make a coherent sentence and failing miserably as Draco continued to gaze at her intensely.

"Ginny, you know exactly what you want. You know it and I know it. So stop playing games"

Draco's words made Ginny halt. He was right of course. She had been deliberating this moment and how it would end for weeks now, and it always ended the same way.

"Your right, I do know" she nodded.

Draco strode over to her, crashing his lips down on hers, wrapping his arms round her fragile body and Ginny clung to him, desperate to be as close to him as possible.

As they parted to catch their breath. Ginny smiled. So this was what it felt like to kiss a guy who adored you. Who only had time for you and you alone. She caught Draco's eye, and knew that she would always come first to him. She wrapped her arms round his neck and pulled him into the softest of kisses and felt completely at home.

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"So what are we going to do about potter?"

Draco voiced the worry he had been suppressing since that night he'd first kissed the petite redhead, walking so comfortably beside him.

Ginny shook her head. Truth be told, she didn't want to think about it at all. She could picture the obscene look of hurt, disappointment and hatred on Harry's face, if she told him she was seeing his worst enemy.

"I don't think I can tell him" she said finally, causing Draco to pause in the corridor.

They looked at each for a while, processing the difficulties that this relationship might unearth. Ginny was still officially dating Harry, Draco was still officially hating Ginny, Harry and any of their friends and Draco was still officially going to become a death eater on his eighteenth birthday. They had talked about these problems so many times over the holidays and nothing had come of it.

Well, they had taken the plunge now. There was no turning back now and if they were to face any problems, then they would face them together.

Draco smiled suddenly and Ginny looked up at him I surprise. Draco Malfoy, giving her a genuine smile!

He bent forward and brushed his lips against hers.

"Okay" he said.

Ginny gazed up at him.

"Are you sure your okay with this?" she asked.

Draco nodded.

"Okay – any way you want to play this is okay"

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Hermione opened one eye, from where she lay on the sofa in the heads common room, as she heard Draco enter.

"Good night?" she teased, making Draco frown at her, as he removed his cloak.

"None of your damn business granger" he sighed, stomping up the stairs to his bedroom and slamming the door on her.

Hermione shrugged and returned to her arithmancy homework, glancing a look at her watch face as she did so. Quarter to three in the morning. God she needed to sleep, especially with Snape's evaluation of their potions in the morning.

Slowly she roused herself off the sofa and dawdled up the staircase to bed. As she entered her room, her gaze fell upon an owl hooting softly on her bed.

She quickly crossed the room, and stroking the owl gently, she removed its letter.

_**Hermione,**_

_**If you still want to know about what was happening the other night meet me in the library at eight thirty tomorrow night. **_

**_Bring potter and the carrot tops if you want._**

_**B. Z**_

Hermione pocketed the letter and watched the owl soar off into the night, before crawling into bed, suddenly exhausted.

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Snape eyed his class of nervous seventh years with a grim sneer. Although everyone one had managed to make a potion, many were simple second year potions, others were badly blended or there was a distinct lack of written coursework to partner the liquids.

The only exception to this bunch of sour disappointments, was that of granger and Zabini.

Their potion; which was corked in two separate bottles; one filled with a thick sparklingly golden substance, which looked like gold dust; and the other containing a misty liquid of the palest pink colour; was the only one accompanied with copious amounts of written research and analysis.

Snape was reluctantly impressed.

He approached their table, where the pair were seated in complete silence and glowered at them.

"Did you make two potions?" he asked dangerously, focusing on their only flaw; the fact that the potion didn't seem to be finished.

Hermione spoke up nervously.

"No sir, the potion could not be completed as it calls for a difficult final ingredient" she handed Snape the ingredients list and he read it curtly.

Hermione watched as he shook his head, eyes widening slightly, then gaped at them.

"Where did you find this potion?" he asked, but held up a hand as Hermione opened her mouth to reply.

"Doesn't matter" he stopped her tensely, heading towards the door, the two bottles of potion in his hand, along with the ingredients list.

"Class dismissed!" he yelled over his shoulder, leaving a shocked class of seventeen year old sitting in complete confused silence.

Two seconds later however…..

"Bloody hell, did we just get out of double potions early?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

"Mione, you potion doesn't cure greasy hair does by any chance?" he chuckled, standing up and grabbing his bag.

Hermione laughed.

"No Ron" she said, linking arms with him and grinning at Harry.

"Although shampoo wouldn't kill him…." She whispered under her breath, causing Blaise to smile inwardly.

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"Shhhh Draco, someone's coming!"

Ginny hushed Draco as she listened to the sound of the approaching students, who were laughing amongst themselves.

Suddenly her jaw dropped in surprise.

"That's Ron and Hermione!" she spun round wildly, eyes wide and Draco swore silently to himself.

"And …….Harry" Ginny groaned.

"I thought they were in class with Snape, you now the one you were skipping to make sure they wouldn't be around!" she snapped, in a harsh whisper.

Draco shrugged. How had they got out of double potions so early, if at all!

"Quick their going to see us" Ginny hissed pulling Draco further down the grassy slope that led to the forest.

"Ginny?" Ron's voice made Ginny jump and panic stricken she shoved Draco sideways into the nearest bush.

"Ron! Hi! Weren't you in potions?" she gabbled rapidly, smoothing down her hair and trying desperately not to look suspicious in any way.

Ron frowned at her.

"Yeah – it got cancelled. Gin you look very suspicious-"

Ginny distracted him momentarily by throwing her arms round Harry and kissing him passionately on the lips.

"Heya honey! How are you? Haven't seen you all day!"

Harry looked somewhat shell shocked at his girlfriends' sudden display of passion and enthusiasm, but kissed her back all the same.

"Im good thanks" he blushed. Ginny took his hand, pulling him back towards the castle.

"Harry and I are going to …erm… catch up" she improvised rapidly. Ron and Hermione glanced at each other.

Ginny grinned.

"You two could do the same….." she hinted, winking at her brother. Hermione opened her mouth to exclaim at Ginny's bluntness then stopped and grinned at Ron.

"Sounds fun" she laughed, grabbing Ron's hand and dragging him, smiling broadly, after Ginny and Harry.

Draco emerged from his reluctant hiding bush. Why was it when there were millions of bushes in the grounds that Ginny had shoved him into a gorse bush! He had prickles where prickles really shouldn't be!

Groaning and limping slightly he made his way slowly into the castle and the Slytherin common room.

"Nice head piece Draco mate!" Blaise called as he pulled a rather twiggy piece of gorse out of Draco's blonde mop of hair.

"Fuck off Zabini!"

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Hermione fiddled impatiently with a strand of her hair, as she awaited Blaise's arrival, with Harry, Ron and Ginny.

Hermione usually found the library a relaxing and comforting place to be, but tonight an air of gloom and remembrance of previous events set a chilling tone to the scene.

"Where the bloody hell is that Slytherin rat!" exclaimed Ron as his rapidly shortening fuse broke.

Hermione sent him a reproachful look.

"Ron, he doesn't have to tell us anything about the other night you know. Personally I would wait all night for him to show up"

Ron frowned at his girlfriend, but didn't get his chance to reply.

"Listen to the girl, weasel. She knows what she's talking about" he grinned at Hermione, who desperately tried, and failed, not to blush.

"But all night Hermione? Quite unexpected that. Not unflattering though…!" he winked at the embarrassed looking Gryffindor and Ron growled menacingly and stepped closer to his girlfriend.

Harry, who had grown tired of watching the antics of the three protagonists, cleared his throat.

"I believe you had something you wanted to share with us Zabini?" he prompted firmly and Blaise nodded, suddenly sombre.

"Well actually, I thought id just open the floor for questions" he replied, pulling out a chair at the table and collapsing into it, arms folded and legs crossed at the ankles.

The four Gryffindor's sat in silence for a minute before Hermione piped up, tentatively.

"What was happening that night?"

Blaise settled his dark cobalt eyes on the girl in front of him. He had been so scared for her that night, wanted to protect her so much and yet he wasn't sure why. And it defiantly wasn't something he'd wanted to explore further.

Slowly he cleared his throat and began to tell them everything.

"What you guys witnessed the other night was the final stage in the preparations for the enrolment of a wizard into the death eater ranks. There are three stages in total. The first being the pledge; taken to bind your body to lord Voldemort, so you will come when you are called to his side"

Harry remembered how the death eaters in his fourth year had appeared by Voldemort side when he had touched worm tail's dark mark.

"The second stage is sacrifice – "

Ginny looked horrified at this thought and Blaise chuckled grimly.

"Not of a person, but of an object or a talent that you hold dear to you. These things or skills are transmitted to lord Voldemort's essence, and you become a part of is existence and power"

Blaise lowered his eyes from Hermione's, where they had been gazing intently into her own.

"The third is demonstration. Demonstrating you have the necessary frame of mind to become a member of lord Voldemort's inner circle"

"To kill you mean"

Hermione voice was hard and abrupt, interrupting Blaise's train of thought and making him tense.

He raised his gaze to hers again; his eyes mercilessly cold now.

"Yes, to kill. It's what death eaters do. Kill or be killed. It's the only choice Voldemort allows you."

He tore his gaze away from Hermione and looked up at the rest of the group all of whom were still absorbing his explanation. Harry looked slightly puzzled and Blaise gestured for him to share his thoughts.

"I was just wondering, why the grave yard? Why there to hold this ceremony thingy?"

Blaise shrugged.

"Lots of extremely powerful wizards and witches are buried there. There are a lot of powerful magical forces in effect in over that sight."

Harry nodded.

"So after you've proven you can kill someone, you get the dark mark?" Ron interjected.

Blaise shook his head.

"No, you are _honoured_ with the mark on your eighteenth birthday" he replied dryly.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and stood up.

"Well thanks for filling us in ….._Mate_" he smiled at Blaise, who nodded back, then held out his hand.

"I dunno why you told us all that or anything. But mione seems to trust you and you seem to be reasonably honest – for a Slytherin I mean….."

"Of course…" laughed Blaise, shaking Harry's outstretched hand firmly.

Harry slung an arm around a paling Ginny and strode out of the library, talking nine to the dozen about the recent revelations.

Ron stood up as well and made to follow Harry, then paused, looking back at Hermione.

"You go ahead, I want to ask something" she urged him.

Ron shrugged.

"Ill see you in the common room then……?" Hermione nodded, and Ron leant forward, pacing a quick kiss on her lips then waved himself out of the library.

Blaise watched Hermione as she frowned after her boyfriend, then turned to face him.

"I see you and the weasel have hooked up then. Heard it's been coming for quite a while"

There was a cold tone in Blaise's voice, echoed with a tentative one, which sounded like hurt, which surprised Hermione. She shrugged.

"I don't know about me and Ron….. It's complicated"

Blaise stood and moved in front of her.

"Im not so sure. I think it's very very simple actually" He whispered, placing a kiss, which lingered a touch to long on her cheek, before sweeping out of the library.

Hermione brought a hand up to her now bright pink cheek, running a finger over the place his lips had touched her skin.

"Blaise wait!" She ran to catch him up, and saw him halt in the corridor ahead of her. He turned around to face her as she slowed to a walk and stopped in front of him.

"Yes?" he whispered and Hermione looked up into his tired face, her eyes desperately searching his for answers.

"Did you……… I mean did you…….?"

Her question was one Blaise had been expecting and she didn't need to finish it.

"Yes"

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Hermione didn't quite know what to do with herself that evening. She was slumped in the armchair next to the fire, watching as the flames ate away at the dying embers.

She couldn't get Blaise's words out of her mind.

Firstly, he had killed someone! He was only seventeen and he had killed someone, an innocent bystander. Was this why he'd filled them in on that evenings events… through guilt?

Hermione shuddered involuntarily. It wasn't his choice she reasoned, unsure of why she felt the need to defend him at all.

She thought back over his departing sentence.

It's very very simple actually.

What was simple. Nothing about this situation with Ron was simple. He was her best friend and she cared about him deeply, but she didn't…… couldn't love him like that. Like a boyfriend. It felt wrong. She'd known it, the minute he'd kissed her, but by then it was too late. She was in too deep and Ron seemed to genuinely have feelings for her.

Sighing deeply, she watched as the fire burned right down, then crossed the darkened common room and out into the cold corridors of the castle.

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The Slytherin's who were still wide awake at the late hour that they heard the impatient knock on their common room door, were surprised by it to say the least.

Daphne Greengrass, swung her legs from over the arm of one of the emerald sofas, that she was lounged on, and crossed the dungeon, towards the portrait hole.

She was even more surprised to see Hermione grangers nervously pale face staring back at her, once she swung it open.

"Granger! What the hell do you want?"

Hermione peered into the Slytherin common room, looking swiftly around for any sign of Blaise.

"Er…. I … er……. Need to talk to Blaise Zabini please" she muttered softly.

Daphne raised her arched eyebrows and shook back her mane of ash hair.

"Im sorry, Blaise isn't available. He's gone to bed" Daphne smirked.

Hermione frowned at the pretty girl in front of her, who Hermione decided would never make it in the customer service industry!

"Professor Dumbledore wishes to see us both, so I suggest you wake him Miss Greengrass. Head girl orders!"

Hermione had always thought it wrong to lie and to use her status as head girl for her own needs irresponsible and illegal; but now was not the time to be reclining in a sun lounger on the hill of moral highs.

Daphne tutted, ungracefully and stomped off up a set of stone steps.

Minutes later, a tired and scruffy looking Blaise descended after her down the staircase, and his eyes widened at the sight of Hermione, who was now standing in the Slytherin……. Yes the _Slytherin _common room – a place she'd rather stab herself repeatedly with a Spork then step foot in, Blaise knew.

"Hermione? What's up?" he yawned, overcoming his surprise at the sight of her in his common room.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted us" she lied and he shrugged.

"Sure ok"

Hermione followed him as he sauntered out of the common room and made his way in the direction of Dumbledore's office.

Once they were sufficiently far enough away from the dungeons, Hermione stopped and watched as Blaise followed suit, a confusion spreading across his features.

"What's going on?"

Hermione took a deep breath.

"What's simple Blaise? I don't understand what's so simple……"

Blaise stared at the girl in front of him for what seemed an age.

"Hermione, what on earth re you talking about!" he said finally and Hermione sighed dramatically.

"Before in the library you said that it was simple. Very very simple actually. But what is? Me and Ron cause that's not simple, neither is you and me, not at all, and as for – "

She stopped as Blaise raised a hand to hush her.

He peered at her curiously.

"_You and me_?" He asked and Hermione blushed slightly.

"Hermione there is no you and me. There never was a you and me. You and Ron and me and Daphne – although _that_ wont be for long – " he muttered quietly.

"You and me can't happen, even if we wanted it to. What am I saying – where did you even get this idea of us! It's insane!"

Hermione glared at him.

"Erm I dunno the common room, when you rescued us from Voldemort, when you kissed me on the cheek in the library!" she hissed, both terrified and angry that she had been wrong.

Blaise laughed spitefully and Hermione slapped him, hard across the cheek.

"What is your problem?" he spat furiously.

Hermione blanched.

"_My problem_? What's _your_ problem?"

Blaise took a step backwards, never breaking her eye line, desperate but unable to walk away.

"You"

"_What?"_

"You. You're my problem. You always have been. Your overly moral, self righteous, cynical and in a constant state of confusion and self disbelief, but I don't care. All I care about is tat I get to see you every day. That I can make you smile or laugh once in a while. That I can protect you, even if you've got someone else to do that for you."

Finally he turned away, leaning fists clenched against the wall. Hermione stared at him.

Then slowly she began to take in every detail. How tired and preoccupied he looked, his hair was messier then usual from where he'd been asleep. His clothes were muggle – jeans and a t – shirt that stretched across his taught torso. And without warning she realised how much she wanted to put her arms around him. To touch him and to kiss him. She suddenly realised that she was shaking with anticipation. A feeling shed never had with Ron. That feeling of needing and wanting someone close to you.

Blaise turned to look at her as she spoke his name.

She had never looked quite so scared n her life. She stood in the middle of the corridor, bathed in the faint milky twilight; eyes wide and trembling as he walked towards her.

He thought she was going to give way as he ran his finger down her cheek and over her lips. And then he brushed his lips across hers for the first time and cascade of anticipation and longing and denial exploded as they deepened the kiss.

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A/N: Ok! Theres some dilemas for you all to sink your pearly whites into!

Shall we do a quick summary of the plot so far?

I think so!

Ok ... so ginnys dating harry and rons dating hermione. blaise is dating daphne and draco is all on his lonesome. Awwwwwwwwwww.

Anyway ... blaise hand hermione have nearly kissed twice before this chapter making them both so nervous of their feelings theyve buggered off with other people. Damn them! But now they seem all coupled up finally even though their still dating their respective partners. The SCANDAL! lol

Ginny and draco work on a muggle stiudies project which will be revealed in the next chapter (along with some drama for the clashing duo!) And they start an affair behind harrys back.

Harry is almost captured by voldy but his mothers letter protects him... hmmm how i wonder? it will be revealed.

Theres a potion to consider remember - why was snape acting so strange about it? and whats the missing ingerediant?

When will drakie and blaisikins become death eaters and will the tangled love lives ever sort themselves out?

Er...NO!

Well not yet anyway - im having too much fun!


	10. Acceptations And Deceptions

Chapter Ten: Acceptations and deceptions

_I'm full of regret  
For all things that I've done and said  
And I don't know if it'll ever be ok to show  
My face 'round here  
Sometimes I wonder if I disappear _

Would you ever turn your head and look  
See if I'm gone  
Cause I fear

There is nothing left to say to you  
That you wanna hear  
That you ought to know  
I think I should go  
The things I've done are way too shameful

You're just an innocent  
A helpless victim of a spiders web  
And I'm an insect  
Going after anything that I can get  
So you better turn your head and run  
and don't look back  
Cause I fear

There is nothing left to say  
To you  
That you wanna hear  
That you ought to know  
I think I should go  
The things I've done are way too shameful

And I've done you so wrong  
Treated you bad  
Strung you along  
Oh shame on myself  
I don't know how I got so tangled

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Ginny giggled as Draco placed a line of gentle kisses along her neck and shoulder blade.

"Draco don't – someone might see us!" she whispered half heartedly, then laughed as Draco pulled her behind a stone statue and kissed her passionately.

"Still want me to stop?" he teased and she slapped him lightly on the arm.

They had been on their way to meet their muggle studies teacher, who'd owled them with a time for an urgent meeting that evening, when Draco had decided he had a better plan for spending their time alone together.

This was how they now found themselves behind the convenient statue.

"c'mon – we'll be late" Ginny pulled Draco out from behind the statue and up the corridor to professor Vetris' office.

She knocked on the door and then distanced herself from Draco, striking up a look of intense hostility for her awaiting audience.

Draco smirked.

"Nice weaslette – but mines better!" he smirked, letting his trademark expression of distaste and disinterest fall over his previously relaxed features.

It took all of Ginny's will power not to laugh, which was just as well because professor Vetris opened her office door right at that moment.

"Ah Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, do come in"

The plump, round faced and good natured professor, swept the pair inside with a warm beam and gestured for them to sit.

Ginny sat daintily on the edge of a soft, plum, velvet armchair, crossing her slim legs, allowing Draco a tantalising glimpse of more flesh then she would usually ever deem it moral to show in public. He rolled his eyes and smirked at the red head, who hid her amusement.

It was such fun to tease Draco. Harry wouldn't notice anything that subtle ever. In fact his idea of subtle would be her dancing naked on a shiny white piano surrounded by giant neon green signs that chanted "She's Nakey!" every five seconds!

Professor Vetris seated herself on the bright yellow sofa and smiled at the pair.

"Tea anyone? No? Okay then I have some news about your muggle studies project"

Ginny stopped stealing glances at Draco and tuned in.

"Its not being cancelled is it?" she asked quickly.

Professor Vetris smiled.

"Well no – but there have been some changes" She replied.

Ginny and Draco had been assigned a project, due to start in a couple of week's time, during which they would have to live as muggles for two weeks in London, using muggle money and not a drop of the magical stuff.

Ginny had been secretly extremely excited about the prospect of spending two weeks alone with Draco, _and_ away from Harry, if she were truthful.

They had been becoming more and more distant over the past week or so, since Ginny had starting seeing Draco on a regular basis. Every time something got challenging or boring with Harry, she was in Draco's arms quicker then lightening. And she felt safe there. Safe and wanted and completely herself. She could tell Draco everything, whereas with Harry, she was constantly treading on eggshells.

"As there are only the two of you this year, professor Dumbledore and I have been discussing and arranging for you to spend the two weeks in the company of two other students, who are doing the same project"

Ginny shrugged.

"That sounds cool actually. Which school are they from?"

"An American wizarding school in New York city. Now you'll be spending your two weeks in New York, where you'll share an apartment with the two American students Brett and Amy – any questions?"

Ginny shook her head and Draco shrugged.

Professor Vetris smiled again.

"Okay! So that's everything! Be ready to leave next Friday at six pm!"

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"God! She is way to perky all the time!" Ginny groaned, after their overdose of joyful sunshine for that evening.

"I know – I could have cursed her the minute she started singing whilst boiling the kettle"

They walked in silence for a bit, processing the new information.

"So America huh?" Ginny piped up and Draco shrugged.

Ginny frowned.

"What's wrong? You do still want to go don't you?" she asked, even though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

Draco stopped and took her hands in his.

"Yes of course I still want to go. In fact I think I want to go even more now. I guess I just wanted you all to myself for a bit"

Ginny stared at him.

"You know – so I can taunt you and insult you without saint potter punching me of course" he rectified hastily.

"Of course" laughed Ginny, placing a kiss on the side of his mouth.

He turned his head kissing her back furiously, until footsteps could be heard in the background.

"Now where has that bloody statue gotten to?"

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"Why do you have to go?" Harry whined for the millionth time that evening, as Ginny packed her trunk for New York.

Ginny turned to give him an impatient look.

"Because I have to – it's a compulsory project. Don't be like this Harry"

Harry shot her a forlorn look, complete with puppy dog eyes.

"You know you'll be missing our three month anniversary?" he moaned softly.

Ginny paused for a second. She had forgotten that she and Harry had been dating for nearly three months. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind and unwillingly she decided on something.

"Harry? Do you think we should cool things off whilst imp in New York?" she asked quietly.

"I mean ill have no way of contacting you or anything without magic and I don't want the thought that you'll be missing me to haunt me……"

Harry sat on her bed in silence for a while then nodded.

"If that's what you want gin? It's okay. You'll need to concentrate out there and it'll be difficult for you without magic, so yeah okay"

Ginny hugged him tightly, and let a single tear roll down her cheek.

This was it. She had chosen.

"Just promise me things will go back to normal when you get home?" Harry murmured into her hair.

Ginny nodded.

"Of course Harry" knowing that they never would.

"C'mon I gotta go!" she broke the embrace and followed Harry down the stairs into the common room, levitating her trunk behind her.

Professor Vetris beamed at her.

"Hello Ginny, all packed? Good! Here's your travel details and allowance. And ill need your wand okay?"

Ginny exchanged her wand for a passport and small velvet purse, which jangled as it moved.

"Ready?" professor Vetris smiled and Ginny nodded.

Placing a quick kiss on Harry's cheek, she stepped into the fireplace which was now glowing green with floo powder.

"Hogsmede station!" She yelled, and disappeared into the flames.

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Hermione was bored. She was in class and for the first time bored out of her mind. Her page was empty from her usual rampant note taking and her mind was drifting out with the clouds that hung in the grey January sky.

"Miss granger!"

Hermione snapped back to reality with a jolt as she focused on the person who had said her name.

"Oh! Professor Dumbledore! I was just …" she blushed as the head teacher smiled down at her.

"I was wondering if I could have a word? In my office?" Dumbledore said gently and Hermione nodded, gathering her belongings up and scooping them into her bag.

She then followed the elderly wizard out of professor Binn's classroom and down the twisting passages that led to his office.

"Zingle poppers!" he cried at the ugly gargoyle that guarded his office and it sprung aside, letting them pass.

"You really must try one of those miss granger. They really are excellent!"

Hermione smiled affectionately at the crazy old man beside her.

They reached the top of the spiral staircase and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

"Blaise?" Hermione exclaimed in surprise, as her gaze landed on the black haired boy who was the picture of relaxation; legs crossed, arms resting behind his head.

Aware that she'd said too much already, Hermione closed her mouth and seated herself opposite Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling in amusement.

"Now then. Professor Snape has bought to my attention that your potions project was rather, shall we say, unique and terribly intriguing."

Hermione frowned.

"I don't understand …." She started.

"Miss Granger, do you know what this potion does?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"It's a protection potion sir"

"Yes, well done. An extremely powerful and rare one at that. It is called the sip of the soul potion. Can you tell me why?"

Both Hermione and Blaise shook their heads.

Dumbledore smiled.

"It has that name, as its last ingredient – the one I presume you haven't been able to add – is the blood of a person who is an unwilling servant of the enemy of the one who drinks the potion. It takes a sip from their soul in the form of blood to seal the magical protective shield the potion creates once drunk. It can last for as long as the servant is an unwilling one"

Dumbledore stopped to ensure they were following then proceeded once again.

"This is why it can be a highly dangerous and unstable form of protection. If the servant suddenly decides they want to take a revengeful act upon the drinker it can be done in one simple thought, which destroys the shield forever."

Hermione swallowed this information thoughtfully.

"Miss Granger, can you think of someone who would most benefit from this potion and its protection?"

Hermione was about to decline any idea, then stopped.

"Harry!" she whispered, suddenly filled with enlightenment.

Dumbledore nodded frantically.

"If you could find someone who is unwilling but forced to serve lord Voldemort, this potion could help Harry succeed in his chosen path"

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Hermione traced the outline of Blaise's jaw with her index finger. She was certain she knew every facial expression and features of his face from memory and drank in the sight of him. She knew how his nose was long and straight, how his eyebrows knotted together when he was frustrated. How his eyes changed from the very dark cobalt colour when he was happy or angry, but paled to a periwinkle blue when his mind was on other things.

She knew that he drummed his fingers on his desk when reading and that he laughed at her muggle jokes, even though he rarely understood their context.

"What's wrong mione?"

Blaise broke their silence, but she shook her head, leaning down to kiss him instead.

He kissed her back, pulling her closer to him, lying face to face along one of the couches in the heads dorm, which now Draco was abroad, they had to themselves day and night.

Hermione had gotten so used to having Blaise's sleeping frame next to hers at night that she was so incredibly lonely if he decided to show his face in the Slytherin dorms occasionally.

"_They'll think im sleeping with every girl in Hogwarts otherwise" he had laughed, and she stuck her tongue out at him._

"_Would you prefer to be?" she asked in what she hoped was a causal voice._

_He looked at her seriously and shook his head._

That was the night he'd told her he loved her.

Their kissing became more frenzied and desperate. Hermione felt Blaise's fingers reaching up to unbutton her blouse and she froze.

He smiled and slid his hands down to her waist instead, sensing she wasn't ready yet, and felt her relax once again.

For once it didn't seem to matter how fast or slow they took their relationship. He wanted it to be Hermione who asserted the pace of their intimacy, as she was still so nervous and inexperienced.

"lets go to bed" Hermione yawned as she made to get up and head for her room, but Blaise pulled her back down beside her.

"Lie with me" he asked and she stopped, resting her head back down on his chest, feeling it rise and fall steadily with each breath.

"I love you"

"I love you too"

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"Hi! I'm Brett; you must be Ginny and Draco"

Ginny and Draco had arrived in New York City early the following morning and now found themselves being greeted by a good looking and self confident boy of about their age.

Brett defiantly had the American look, Ginny decided. Immaculately dressed and groomed with a Hollywood smile, Ginny knew instantly where his confidence sprung from.

He ushered them inside the apartment that the four would be sharing for the next fortnight, taking their luggage from them and depositing it next to the stairs, which led to the second floor.

A short blonde haired girl rounded the corner and threw her arms round Ginny in greeting.

"Heya! I'm Amy! I'm so excited to meet you both finally!" she squealed in her American accent, which was harsher then Brett's soft lilting drawl.

Ginny instantly liked them both and she grinned happily as Amy threw her arms round Draco, as if greeting a long lost friend.

"So guys, did you want to unpack, then we'll show you the city?" Brett asked and Ginny nodded, Draco following her up the stairs to the bedrooms, on the upper level of the duplex.

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"So what do you think of new York so far then Ginny?"

Ginny smiled at Brett as he joined her on the balcony of the apartment, as she watched the flickering lights of New York in the darkness.

"Its incredible" she breathed, shivering involuntarily in the cool breeze that had settled over the city.

"Here" Brett shrugged off his jacket, draping it round her shoulders and she smiled in thanks.

They stood in silence for a minute or two, looking out over the city.

"Ginny? Can I ask you something?" Brett said finally and Ginny nodded.

"You and Draco……. Are you….?"

Ginny laughed.

"Yeah were together, but it's complicated. Were not meant to be but we are… I know it doesn't make any sense!" she chuckled as Brett frowned in puzzlement.

"Want to explain?" Brett asked and Ginny shrugged.

"I left my boyfriend for Draco. I was dating this guy and he still thinks there's a chance, but im happier with Draco then I ever was with Harry." She explained.

Brett's eyes widened.

"Harry? As in Harry potter?" he asked in disbelief, causing Ginny to roll her eyes and nod.

"Sorry" Brett apologized bashfully.

"If its any consolation, I think you know you made the right choice, you don't need to feel guilty"

Ginny turned to look Brett straight in the eye, and then hugged him gratefully.

"Thanks – I think that's all I needed to hear." She whispered.

From inside his bedroom, Draco glared out at the sight of his girlfriend wrapping her arms round the American wizard. From the minute he'd seen Brett he should have known there would be trouble. He was defiantly more Ginny's type. More like Harry, he thought grimly, before stomping off to bed.

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"Erm potter? Can I have a word?"

Blaise approached Harry at the end of dinner, pulling him to one side, out of view from the gossiping students that filled the great hall.

"Im sorry Zabini. I just don't feel that way about you" Harry laughed, as Blaise glared at him, distancing himself further from the bespectacled boy.

"Shut it potter!" Blaise threatened casually.

"No, listen ive got something important to tell you"

"You know, you're not really helping to shed that imp – trying – to – ask – you – out aura you've got going on right now"

"Potter! Listen you know the potion Hermione and I made?" Harry nodded.

"Well it's a protection potion. It can be drunk by anyone, so long as it contains the blood of an unwilling servant of the drinkers' enemy. I think you should drink it" Blaise finished.

Harry stared at him.

"What? That'd mean id need the blood of someone unwilling to become a death eater right? That'd be easy!" he laughed, gesturing around at the great hall.

Blaise shook his head.

"No, it has to be from someone you is forced to serve Voldemort but doesn't necessarily want to" he explained again and Harry shrugged.

"And who do you suggest? If I remember correctly most death eaters are usually thrilled to kiss old Voldy's feet."

Blaise kept quiet for a while, and then spoke up tentatively.

"Me"

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Harry stared at him. Blaise waved his hands in front of Harry passive face.

"Potter? Earth to potter!" he chanted, manically.

"Why? I don't understand…." Harry said finally, and Blaise sighed in defeat.

"I was hoping you'd just say okay, but as you are being highly uncooperative……. Your Hermione's best friend and imp in love with Hermione"

This was the breaking point for Harry and he staggered backwards into a stone pillar and slid stunned to the floor. Blaise crouched down in front of him.

"Erm potter? Are you okay?"

Harry waved him away and Blaise stood up hesitantly.

"Let me get this straight. You want to help protect me against Voldemort because you don't want to e a death eater and because you're in love with Hermione?"

"Er yes, I suppose that's correct"

"You're insane you know that. If Voldemort doesn't kill you for it, then Ron certainly will!"

Blaise paused.

"That's why you can't tell anyone, especially not Hermione" he muttered.

"Tell Hermione what?" Ron's voice joined the conversation.

"That he's going to help me, because he's in love with her" Harry's stunned state hadn't quite worn off it seemed and Ron turned an interesting colour of puce.

"Your bloody WHAT!" he roared, launching himself at the startled Slytherin boy.

"Nice one potter!" Blaise groaned, as he ducked a blow from Ron's fist.

"So she'd been seeing you behind my back has she? HAS SHE!" Ron yelled, as a small crowd gathered round the trio of boys.

Blaise shook his head.

"I wont do this now, not here Weasley. Potter get up and take your weasel friend with you. Ill meet you in the heads room in ten minutes.

Ron however, seemed completely against doing as Blaise said.

"Weasley I hate to do this but you leave me no choice"

Seconds later, Harry dragged an incredibly subdued Ron out of the great hall, whilst Blaise nursed his throbbing hand.

It had been quite a good punch if he said so himself.

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"What is going on!"

Hermione, having gotten wind of the fight from Parvati, stormed into the heads common room and glared stonily at the three boys in front of her.

Harry seemed to be pinning a bloody nosed Ron back from a furious looking Blaise.

"What the hell is going on!" she yelled even louder and Harry decided to explain.

Hermione glared at the three boys as Harry finished recounting the story and grew very quiet and eerily calm.

"Blaise, Harry, I need to talk to Ron alone for a minute okay?"

Harry nodded and proceeded to leave, but Blaise simply glared at the Gryffindor girl.

"Why me? I think we need to talk as well Hermione" he spat dangerously.

Hermione sighed.

"Blaise please…..?" she begged of him and he crossed his arms and stalked past her, pulling her towards a far corner of the room ,out of Ron's ear shot.

"What are you going to tell him?" he asked sullenly and Hermione shrugged.

"Maybe if we just worked things out it would be better for everyone. I mean Ron and I are friends, were close, it could work if we tried and there's Harry to think of…?" she trailed off miserably.

Blaise almost seemed to seethe with anger and disappointment.

"Hermione, both of us are friends with a powerful wizard who often needs our help okay? We always stand just to the right of them, offering our support. But one day their not going to need it and so isn't it time you chose your own path? Hmmm?"

Then he stalked out of the common room, leaving his words ringing in Hermione's ear.

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"Ron?"

"Im not talking to you!" he spat angrily.

Hermione glared.

"Im not asking you to talk, im telling you to listen!" she replied firmly.

Ron sat sulking on the sofa, refusing to look her in the eye, so she settled herself down, opposite him and tried to explain.

"Ron, you and me would never work because well I don't know anything about you –"

Ron stared at her.

"Were best friends you know everything about me!" he cried, and Hermione shook her head.

"no, I know everything that a friend should know, that lots of people who know you know, but nothing a girlfriend should know" she fiddled with the edge of her skirt, trying to make sense of it in her own head.

"I know things about Blaise that only I know. And that makes what we have exclusive and special. Things that I notice because I cant get enough of him, of being around him"

Ron's eyes grew dark and sad expression fell across his features.

"But I love you mione" he whispered.

"No, you don't Ron" she smiled softly.

"You care for me ands you're my best friend, but we've never had more then that. Don't you see? There is so much more that you can feel, then you feel for me and you deserve that Ron."

They sat there simply staring into the fire for what seemed an eternity, before Ron spoke.

"Okay. Maybe I may have exaggerated certain feelings for you, and im sorry if I caused you any pain mione. Friends?"

Hermione beamed at him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Always"

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"Okay Draco, what the hell is wrong with you!"

Ginny had only been able to stand a morning of Draco's silence, which was only interrupted by the occasional sarcastic comment, muttered under his breath.

As Brett and Amy had decided to visit a couple of muggle friends for the day, and they weren't due to meet up again till dinner, Ginny and Draco found themselves sauntering round central park for the morning.

It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful days Ginny had ever witnessed. A thin layer of January snow covered the park and tree tops and the cool air was not so much chilling as refreshing.

Draco seemed not to have heard Ginny's frustrated outburst so she stepped in front of him, trying to make eye contact, but he simply manoeuvred around her and continued walking.

"Draco!" she cried, tears pricking in her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her jacket sleeve and hurried after him.

"What Weasley? What is it you want?" he snapped abruptly.

The use of her last name stung.

"An explanation maybe" she replied sharply.

Draco stopped and peered incredulously down at her.

"An explanation? Surely that's what you should be giving me!"

Ginny gaped at him in puzzlement.

"For what?" she cried

"For why I saw my girlfriend and some cheesy American guy sharing a rather too intimate embrace on the balcony last night!"

Ginny couldn't help it. She did the worst thing possible. She laughed.

Draco shot her a hard look, before storming off down the path.

"Draco wait! It wasn't what …"

She sighed as his frame disappeared from sight.

"…you thought"

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"Relax. He'll be back soon. He probably just wound up in Soho or something. I can imagine he'd fit in quite well there"

Ginny pouted as she allowed Amy to finish braiding her red curls, as they sat on her bed. Ginny had just muttered something about there being a possibility Draco might be hurt. He hadn't turned up for dinner at the restaurant they'd booked and it was nearing eleven pm and still there had been no word from him.

Brett had been apologizing profusely since Ginny had arrived at the restaurant in tears and hurriedly explained everything.

Ginny had assured him that Draco had an unfortunate temper and a fair amount of stubbornness in him and that it wasn't Brett's fault in any way.

"You want me to wait up with you sweetie?"

Ginny smiled and nodded gratefully. She'd never really had a proper girlfriend before, if you excluded Hermione of course, and Amy and she had hit it off instantly.

"Ill get some cookies and hot chocolate" Amy jumped up and dashed into the kitchen.

Seconds later Ginny heard Amy's voice float through into the lounge.

"Ginny? How do you make hot chocolate without a wand?"

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Draco stirred his silver bullet cocktail with a cherry and then proceeded to drain the concoction of scotch and vodka.

Instantly he began to feel slightly better.

"Same again" he commanded of the bar tender, in the small but exclusive club in Soho.

He took the second drink and spun round, to lean against the bar, so he could examine the crowd the club attracted.

Everyone was immaculately dressed, flaunting their fame and throwing around their cash as if it were peanuts. He smirked.

Every move these people made was so rehearsed. Ginny would have hated it. Everything she did was spontaneous or done in a moment of passion or curiosity. Draco suddenly found himself longing for her company. He wished he could go home to the apartment and tell her he was sorry, but that would mean admitting he was wrong. Something he rally didn't want to do.

"Want to dance?"

An attractive model type girl, with streaming red hair, broke his thoughts. She looks just like Ginny, he mused, before accepting.

"Don't you think you should go home Draco?"

Draco turned to come face to face with Brett.

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"What do you want?" Draco drawled in a bored tone.

Brett sighed.

"Ginny and I are simply friends. She was telling me how happy she was with you and how she knew she'd done the right thing by choosing you over Harry potter, when you saw us" Brett explained.

Draco stared down into the glittering liquid of his cocktail.

"Really?" He was shocked at how insecure he sounded. Ginny seemed to be able to make him unable to put up his ice cold front that he used so often in relationships and it was a frightening realisation.

"listen are you going to come and dance?" the pretty red head who'd seemed such a good second best a minute ago, had morphed into a slightly shorter, less attractive and all around ordinary city girl, with badly dyed hair.

Draco shook his head.

"No. no thank you" He replied and allowed himself to be steered out of the club by Brett.

"You do know that that's an extremely girly drink Draco mate?"

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A/N: hmmmm? What a palaver! Another quick recap anyone? Yes? No? Okay!

To summarise ……….

No more Hermione / Ron

" " Ginny/ Hazzer

Blaise is a cutie pie

Brett is very American

Amy is lovely

Draco drinks girly cocktails

Got it? Good!

BTW……… Im seriously thinking of giving up on this fic. It's becoming too emotional for my liking. However you readers may be able to change my mind. I could do with some nice long reviews. Tell me what you like, what you hate, whether you think the characters are developing correctly and enough. Is there somewhere you would like the plot to go? Any more obstacles they might need to pass?

Please please review! Thanks X


	11. Just What Love Can Do

Chapter Eleven: Just What Love Can Do

_We kill one another for love  
Does it have to, does it have to be  
That we kill one another of love?  
A year after, a year after  
We met up by the powers above  
If you want to you can wear my love  
And it's like you, and it's like me  
We've all got eyes but we cannot see  
It's a crazy situation  
It's a crooked, ended room  
It's a mask of information  
'Cause he wants her, and she wants me  
And we wanna be with the one that we need  
And he wants her, and she wants me  
And we all wanna be with the one that we need  
And he wants what she wants  
And I wanna be with the one who thinks I'm her brother _

And we kill one another for love  
And we grace it so gradually  
And we kill one another for love  
And we make it, yeah, we make it bleed  
And I see we're all looking above  
Are you crazy?  
What are we thinking of?  
And this ain't you  
And this ain't me  
We all got hands  
But we cannot feel.

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"Harry! Wake up!"

Harry bolted upright in his bed as Hermione shook him awake hat morning.

"Wha- ?" all coherency deserting him this early in the morning.

"Its five am mione! Why are you waking me up!" he yelled, lobbing a pillow at her head. She ducked and stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

"Ginny is due home this morning – in about…. Oooh, id say an hour? _So_……..GET UP!"

Harry checked the date on his calendar and realised that it was indeed the twentieth of January. The date itself was circled heavily in red marker which didn't seem to have helped him remember it, ironically.

Slowly he scrambled out of bed throwing on the nearest jeans and jumper that lay to hand and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

Why was he nervous? This was Ginny, he told himself firmly. Things were going to go back to the same as they were when she'd left. Nothing had changed.

He made his way down into the common room, where Hermione plied him and Ron with toast and hot chocolate, then busied herself with waking Blaise up, who, Harry learnt, had been allowed to lie in this morning until five _thirty_! Being Hermione's boyfriend certainly had its perks, he laughed.

They unlikely four were down, standing in the freezing January weather at ten to six, with ten minutes to spare before Ginny and Draco's train arrived.

Blaise had distanced himself from the group and from afar it would seem like he was waiting solely for Draco.

Twelve minutes later, the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts express rolled into Hogsmede station and stopped with a huge sigh of steam and smoke.

"Ginny!" Hermione dashed across the platform and flung her arms round the red headed girl.

"How was it? What did you get up to? Wow – You look different!"

Ginny laughed at the older girls' constant stream of questions and observations. She did indeed look different, thought Harry as he took in the sight of her. More confident, more decisive and she glowed with an aura of complete contentment.

"It was amazing! Loads of things! And I know and I don't know why!" Ginny laughed as she reeled off her answers. It was the kind of laugh she'd had the previous summer, when she had been so relaxed and happy. Harry hadn't realised until now that she had stopped laughing like that. The thing he'd loved most about her had been depleting and he hadn't noticed…..

He shook the thought from his mind, as he stepped forward to hug the petite girl to him. Ginny hugged him back tightly and whispered; "I missed you"

Harry smiled and unwillingly let go of her.

"Here's your bag gin……..I mean weaslette"

Draco hadn't seemed to have noticed the group surrounding Ginny as he dragged her trunk off the train, but he hastily rectified his mistake; not that anyone had noticed in their excitement. Well except for Blaise of course.

Blaise, as a habit, noticed everything and everyone.

"You slept with her didn't you?"

Draco spun round to find himself facing Blaise, who wore a rather excellent impression of Draco's trademark smirk on his face.

"Heya mate" Draco grinned, then pulled Blaise away from the trio and Ginny.

"And….well…….I ….." he grinned in a very un-Malfoy manner.

"Well well, a Malfoy _in love_! Let me just phone Satan and ask if he needs to borrow a duffel coat and mittens!"

Draco punched Blaise lightly on the shoulder.

"Fuck off Zabini"

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How was it, thought Ginny, as she sat down at the Gryffindor table in the great hall for dinner, that the place she most wanted to be, was the only place she couldn't be? It made no sense to her at all.

She searched for Draco's blonde hair in the sea of students and just as she found him, he lifted his head and caught her gaze.

He began to mouth something, she couldn't quite work out. She shrugged and he repeated it. Ginny shook her and laughed, still clueless.

She watched as he wrote something down on a piece of parchment and slyly levitated it in her direction.

Catching it quickly, she ducked it under the table and unfolded it.

_I miss you, I love you x_

Ginny grinned and blushed prettily. She looked up once again, but Draco had turned away, as if embarrassed at his unusual act of genuineness.

"Ginny?"

Harry's voice infiltrated her thoughts and she glanced up at him.

"Can we talk later?"

Ginny's stomach sunk. She knew that these four words would come and yet she'd hoped that they wouldn't.

In New York, Draco and she had decided that she would break up with Harry. It would be hard but the right thing to do. How naïve it was of her to think she was in love with Harry. That, she now realised, had passed years ago, and yet she was still clinging on to those feelings, because it was the safe option.

Anyway, it was time to let go.

"Yeah sure Harry" she smiled back at him.

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"I couldn't do it!" Ginny wailed, as she fell into Draco's open embrace later that night in the heads common room. Hermione and Blaise were out patrolling the corridors so there was no chance of their relationship being witnessed.

Draco held Ginny tightly, a frown seeping across his face.

"He started talking about his parents and how much id supported him and he needed me. And about all the fun we'd had and I couldn't do it! I love Harry so much – I can't hurt him!"

Draco removed his arms from around the distraught girl and stepped back a few steps.

Ginny instantly realised what she'd said.

"Draco, I do love Harry – I care for him a lot, and he's always going to be a part of my life. But just not in the same way….."

She stopped, knowing it was a lost cause.

"Draco. Come and find me when you've gotten over your silly pride and realised how hard this is for me okay?"

And with that she stalked past him and out into the dark corridor.

She reached Dumbledore's office minutes later and found herself sitting in front of the kindly wizard.

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"Where's Ginny?"

"She's gone home to the burrow, until Monday morning"

"What!"

Harry seemed completely oblivious to his girlfriends' whereabouts, when Hermione filled him in the following morning, over toast.

"She said she needed some time alone, to think about some things and she said not to worry too much" Hermione added, as Harry gaped at her.

"Harry please shut your mouth, I've already seen that piece of bacon once and I hadn't intended on seeing it again"

Harry clamped his jaw shut and frowned down at his plate.

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Ginny stretched luxuriously as she awoke to the familiar and comforting sight of her bedroom. She smiled contentedly as she took in the peeling pink wallpaper, the white furniture and the badly painted portraits of her family, she'd done when she was little, and that still adorned the walls.

"Ginny sweetheart?"

Ginny sat up in bed as she heard her mother's voice drift through the bedroom door.

"Come in mum" she called and the door swung open.

Molly Weasley bustled into Ginny's room, carrying a mug of steaming tea and a plate of toast.

"Here you are Ginny dear. Thought you might like to take it easy this morning. I do miss having you little ones around the house during term time"

Ginny smiled graciously and accepted the breakfast, propping herself up on three incredibly fluffy pillows.

"Now dear, would you like to tell me what's wrong?" molly Weasley seated herself on the edge of Ginny's bed, throwing an expression of deep concern Ginny's way.

Ginny shrugged.

"Nothings wrong mum. Honestly" she said in between sips of tea.

"Well dear, your father and I have been talking and if it means us taking care of a little one, whilst you finish your schooling, then that's perfectly fine. A little Weasley- potter wouldn't be any trouble at all – "

"Mum! Im not pregnant! Seriously this isn't what this is about!" Ginny cut her mothers speech short, blushing heavily.

It wouldn't be a Harry's anyway she thought suddenly.

"Im just having some trouble with Harry that's all"

Molly, did not, as Ginny had expected, look tearful and disbelieving at this statement. Molly loved Harry as a son and had hoped for so long that he and Ginny would get together.

Instead she smiled warmly.

"Ginny, dear. Sometimes relationships we thought would work out, don't. And other times love takes you by surprise and someone you could never have imagined falling in love with, becomes a major part of your life. It's okay to change your mind and if you end up hurting someone then it's terrible. But you must do what's right for you, hmmm?"

Molly smiled down at her only daughter, who looked like she could cry at any second.

"I know you and Harry had some good times, but I think this new guy of yours makes you so much happier"

She left, leaving Ginny wondering how her mother could tell.

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Ginny had never felt quite as calm as she did now she was back home. She loved Hogwarts dearly, but all this peace and quiet, away from her problems, was bliss.

She had spent the morning sauntering down the tiny cobbled high street of Ottery St. Catchpole, the winter sun in her eyes. She thought of Harry and then her thoughts drifted to Draco. In New York, she'd seen such a different side to him. He was witty and smart. Kind and curious. They had had so much fun together, that Ginny hadn't expected.

It was ridiculous she decided how she was willing to be with someone who in a few months would become a death eater. Would kill innocent people and serve the darkest wizard since Grindlewald.

She stopped in front of the Ottery St. catchpole tailor shop and pushed open the door. She needed new dress robes for the end of term formal. All of her previous dresses had been gold or red in honour of her house.

"Okay Ginny, time to make a stand", she thought as she pushed open the door to the shop.

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"Blaise, you don't have to do this you know!"

Hermione was close to tears of exasperation and frustration, as her boyfriend refused to listen to her. Blaise was now dead set on using his blood in order to finish the protection potion, so that Harry could drink it.

"Hermione let the man think!" Ron cried at the hysterical girl.

"There's not any danger to him is there?" Ron asked Blaise and Blaise shook his head.

"None at all" he lied quietly.

In truth the potion would link him to Voldemort's demise if Harry succeeded with the potion. Once Blaise was mark with the dark mark, Voldemort would know in an instant that Blaise had betrayed him. There certain punishments for this kind of betrayal he was sure.

"I might go and see Dumbledore quickly" he excused himself, feeling ever so slightly sick, and backed out of the library.

"Professor Dumbledore! Professor DUMBLEDORE!" Finding that he didn't have the foggiest what the office's password was, Blaise found himself banging on the gargoyles smooth head in frustration.

"_Yes?_"

Blaise Shrieked girlishly as the headmasters' voice answered him from behind. Desperately attempting to recover some of his dignity, he leant back coolly against the gargoyle and folded his arms.

"Hey professor"

"Butterscotch bees"

Oomph!

Blaise fell backwards onto the stone floor as the gargoyle sprang aside, opening the office archway.

Dumbledore stepped neatly round him and proceeded up the spiral staircase.

"Follow me, master Zabini"

Blaise stood and followed, rubbing the back of his head, a scowl falling over his face.

"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering what the –"

"The effects of mixing the dark mark with the potion you and miss granger made would be?"

"Well… yes"

Dumbledore gestured for Blaise to sit. Blaise sat. He watched as Dumbledore paced his office for a few minutes, and then jolted one finger into the air as if he'd suddenly remembered what he was trying to.

He crossed the office to a dusty bookshelf right at the back of the room, and pulled down a pile of yellowing papers.

"Ah yes…."

Blaise raised his eyebrows at the elderly wizard. This was not quite what he'd expected from the greatest wizard of all time. _Ah yes?_

Dumbledore replaced the papers and settled down at his desk, facing Blaise.

"Mr. Zabini, may I ask what has prompted you to use your blood as the potions sealant?"

Blaise shrugged.

"Harry needs protecting I guess so…. The right thing? I never really thought I was death eater material? Maybe the fact that – "

"No Mr. Zabini – the real reason you offered if you please"

Blaise held the professor eye for a second and then looked down at his hands that lay still in his lap.

"Hermione"

"Indeed master Zabini. The potion is the sip of the soul potion and therefore Hermione is the part of the soul you are putting into the potion am I right? As she is your reason"

Blaise nodded.

"I guess so…."

"Mr. Zabini – if you give something to someone else, do you still have it?"

"Er no sir?"

"Then that is your answer"

Blaise sat in silence. So in order to help protect Harry an indirectly everybody that Harry would protect, he would have to lose Hermione?

"She won't……. She's not going to…?"

"No harm will come to her Blaise" Dumbledore spoke in the kindest voice Blaise had ever heard him use. It was the voice, he suspected, used only for Harry.

Blaise nodded and got up to leave. He was nearly to the office door, when Dumbledore spoke again.

"It is not easy to give up the one thing that makes us want to live. But it will become easier when you see how many people live because of it"

Blaise slipped out of the door without a word, giving the gargoyle a hefty kick as he went.

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A/N: Short chapter I know! Sorry! I just needed to tie up some loose ends and dilemmas before we take a grittier and more complex turn of events.

Hope you liked the new obstacles I threw up?

As always – Reviews are what keeps blaisikins and Hermione kissing! Harry in turmoil! Draco and Ginny at blows! And keeps Dumbledore in his special shampoo! Lol


	12. A Few Little Changes

Chapter Twelve: A Few Little Changes

_I don't wanna go another day_

_So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind_

_Seems like everybody's breaking up_

_Throwing their love away_

_I know I got a good thing right here_

_That's why I say (Hey)_

_Nobody's going to love me better_

_Imma stick with you_

_Forever_

_Nobody's going to take me higher_

_Imma stick with you_

_You know how to appreciate me_

_Imma stick with you_

_My baby_

_Nobody ever made me feel this way_

_Imma stick with you_

_I don't wanna go another day_

_So I'm telling you exactly what is on my mind_

_See the way we ride_

_In our private lives_

_Ain't nobody getting in between_

_I want you to know that you're the only one for me_

_And I say_

_And now_

_Ain't nothing else I can need_

_And now_

_I'm singing 'cause you're so, so into me_

_I got you_

_We'll be making love endlessly_

_I'm with you_

_Baby, you're with me_

_So don't you worry about_

_People hanging around_

_They ain't bringing us down_

_I know you and you know me_

_And that's all that counts_

_So don't you worry about_

_People hanging around_

_They ain't bringing us down_

_I know you and you know me_

Harry potter had decided to mope. He had woken up, considered being a good sport; being angry and even pretending he'd forgotten about it already. However when he finally climbed out of his bed this morning, he had decided moping about the common room was much less hassle.

It hadn't come as much of a surprise to him when Ginny had tentatively ended their relationship.

Even he had felt the subtle shift in their liaison, but it still hurt. And so that was how Ron found his best friend on the sunny Saturday afternoon, when everyone else was at Hogsmede.

"Harry Potter! Get your butt down to Hogsmede right now!"

Harry looked pathetically up at his best mate and sighed dramatically. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Ill set Hermione on you" he warned and Harry bolted upright.

"Okay, okay, im coming" he groaned, grabbing his jacket ands wand and grudgingly following Ron out onto the grounds.

Ginny peered out from a gap in the door to the sixth year girls' dormitory and heaved a sigh of relief.

She had been showing Draco her dress robes for the upcoming ball, when her two dorm mates had returned early from their detention with professor Flitwick.

Consequently, Draco had spent a rather uncomfortable night, squashed under Ginny's bed, desperately trying not to make a sound.

"Your lucky I like you so much Weasley" he growled as he finally slid out from under the four poster, a cobweb in his hair.

Ginny laughed.

"You should be thankful I didn't throw you to the Gryffindor's!" she retorted casually, then yelped as Draco leap forward to tickle her.

"You wouldn't have dared!"

"Oh _really_!"

"Really!"

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"I always thought me and Ginny would be the one that stuck you know?"

Harry stared miserably into the bottom of his glass and Ron sighed for the millionth time that hour. This hadn't been quite what he'd had in mind when he'd dragged Harry to the three broomsticks in order to cheer him up.

But if the man needed to talk…….

"Hiya! I hate to interrupt you dudes – but if your Harry potter, I think you might be able to help me!"

Harry and Ron both looked up abruptly at the sound of a strong American accent shrilled out over the noise in the bar.

"Er, hi" Harry greeted the exceptionally pretty blonde girl in front of him. How is she this cheery this time of the morning? He thought wildly.

"So…? Are you Harry potter?" her accent made Harry cringe ever so slightly, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Great! Im looking for Ginny?"

Harry shook his head and banged it down on the table.

Ron looked from his best mate, who seemed to have sunk further into despair, and the perky American girl in front of him.

"Im Ron, im Ginny's brother. Ill take you back to Hogwarts if you like?"

The blonde girl nodded chirpily and slipped her arm through Ron's.

"Im Amy by the way" she informed the red head, then glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey Brett! Ron here is taking us to the castle!"

A boy of about Ron's age stood up and held out his hand to Ron, who shook it, then offered him and everyone else around him, a brad pit smile.

Harry wiggled his fingers from his depressed slump on the table in farewell.

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"AMY!"

Ginny launched herself at the petite American as she caught sight of her coming up the hill with Brett and her brother.

"BRETT!"

She launched herself at Brett this time and he swung her around.

"I can't believe you're here! When? How?" she demanded.

Brett laughed easily at her hyper state.

"We got the week off school to finish our project, so we decided to sod the work and visit you and Draco instead" he explained and Ginny laughed.

"This is great! Ill get Draco. You can probably stay in the heads dormitory with him" she darted off into the castle, dragging the two American students with her.

Ron stared at the giggling trio then shrugged, running after them and giggling in a girlish fashion.

If you can't beat, don't get them or are simply scared by them, join them was his motto.

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"…….and so I later that night I found them stashed behind the sofa!"

Ron choked on his pumpkin juice as Brett finished telling him about Ginny and Draco's time in New York.

"I can't believe he did that! Malfoy always seemed so evil" Ron cried, still red from his choking fit.

Ginny shrugged and smiled inwardly.

"But surely you must have gotten to know Draco more now that him and Ginny-"

"Amy? Brett? Can I talk to you quickly? About your……luggage! Yes your luggage!" Ginny exclaimed quickly, bolting to her feet and practically dragging the pair away from Ron, who was peering at them curiously.

"What's going on Ginny?" Amy asked concernedly and Brett leaned in conspiratorially.

"Ron doesn't er….know about Draco and I, and he hates him……so it's probably better if you don't mention it please" she pleaded and Brett laughed.

"You have the craziest relationships you British girls!"

"I think its kind of romantic….." sighed Amy, clutching her hands together, her eyes glazing over dreamily.

"You know all the secrecy and forbidden love"

"Amy – shut up"

"So what were you saying Amy?" Ron interrupted her Shakespeare style monologue and she frowned.

"Oh, that you should know Draco better because he and Ginny went on this trip and stuff. I would have thought an older brother would have tried to protect his little sister at all times?" she battered her eyelashes Ron's direction and he blushed madly.

"Well, I do try. Perhaps I should be more tolerant of Malfoy…… maybe…..once in a while………when he's not being a complete pric-"

"Ron!" warned Ginny.

"You're a miracle worker!" Ginny muttered to Amy. Her brother had just agreed to kinda maybe put his feud with his worst enemy behind him! God bless America!

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"AAHHHHHHH!"

Blaise yelped as he was unexpectedly thrown off the bed, where he had been sleeping peacefully next to Hermione.

Escaping from beneath the duvet that was bent on suffocating him right there on the floor, he got to his feet and glared furiously at Hermione, who seemed to be completing some kind of victory dance on the bed.

"Hermione! What in Merlin's name are you doing!" he cried, rubbing his shoulder, which it seemed had broken the majority of his fall.

The brown haired girl beamed at him and promptly threw her arms round his neck.

"Guess who got accepted for two weeks work experience at the sub – department of mysteries and secret enforcement!" she chirped happily.

Hermione had for quite some time been desperate to work at the ministry of magic once she'd left Hogwarts, and the department of mysteries had sparked her imagination and curiosity beyond words. Therefore she had arranged with Dumbledore to spend two weeks working in the departments minor areas of expertise, so not to divulge the magical world's top secrets to a seventeen year old school girl.

"That's great!" Blaise spun his girlfriend round in his arms and kissed her passionately.

However, Hermione suddenly frowned.

"What? Aren't you happy?" Blaise asked concerned.

"Yes of course" she replied softly. "Its just ill miss your eighteenth birthday if im working"

Blaise smiled grimly.

"It's not as if they'll be much to celebrate" he muttered. On his eighteenth he was expected to receive his dark mark from Voldemort, and he wasn't looking forward to it to say the least.

He felt a sudden surge of guilt as he remembered he hadn't yet told Hermione of the consequences that mixing Harry's potion and his dark mark would have. It wasn't needed he'd decided. What happens happens for the better. And saving Harry's life and indirectly everyone else's was the right thing to do.

So instead of spilling these worries to the girl I his arms, he simply shrugged, smiled and held her closer.

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Forget car crashes, vomiting pets, diapers and washing lord Voldemort's underpants - Watching Ronald Weasley eat breakfast had to be the most disgusting thing in the world, thought Hermione that morning, as she averted her eyes from Ron's sausages, which were entering his mouth at a rate of 0 – 60 in two seconds flat.

It was a strange collection of people sitting at the centre of the Gryffindor table that morning. Ron, Harry and Hermione sat opposite Ginny, who was ignoring Harry. Ron sat next to Brett, who if he flashed a smile at yet another pretty raven claw girl, Hermione might have to kill him. And Amy, who looked the picture of innocence, with her cloud of blonde hair, was slyly making sure Harry's look of rapture never faltered, as he watched her butter a piece of toast.

Hermione checked the time on her watch and gave a startled cry. The other five looked up curiously at the witch.

"Its ten to nine!" she gushed, "we were meant to meet Blaise five minutes ago in the potions lab!"

Harry jumped up and followed Hermione, who was already half way towards the doors of the great hall, casting a final longing look at Amy. Ron stuffed two more sausages into his mouth and ran after the other two. Amy bit into her toast, sulking at Harry's departure. Brett sensing it was now safe to unleash his smile yet again, focused in on two Hufflepuff girls, who blushed and giggled at the good looking American. And Ginny feigned complete ignorance that Harry had been sat opposite her at all, let alone just dashed out of the hall.

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"Okay. All we need now is the final ingredient" Harry finished bringing the two separate parts of the potion to their correct temperatures and looked up at Blaise.

Blaise glanced across at a very tense looking Hermione and signalled for the others to leave them for a second.

"Hermione, I just wanted you to know that I love you and that im sorry" He said, kissing her very tenderly on the lips. Hermione pulled him to her, deepening the kiss, and then pulled away, a confused look in her eye.

"Sorry for what?" she asked, but Blaise had already dragged a knife through the skin on his arms, catching the blood in a vial, and hastily shook it into the first half of the potion. Hermione gasped as it began to smoke, and Blaise quickly added it to the second caldron, completing the potion.

The room filled with a sudden burst of light and a pale blue smoke fell over them. Once cleared, the four peered into the caldron curiously, and saw a tiny, shiny silver pebble shaped object.

It had a thin rim around its circumference which Harry twisted ad pulled apart as he picked it up. The silver pebble separated into two halves; a shimmering dark blue liquid resting inside of one half.

Harry raised the pebble half to his lips, held his nose and drank.

After a moment of silence, several things happened at once.

Harry dropped both pebble halves, which bounced soundly on the stone floor of the dungeon. Then both he and Blaise screamed out and collapsed, lying very much unconscious, sprawled out at odd angles.

"Oh my god!" cried Hermione, throwing herself down at Blaise's side and quickly checking for a pulse. She gestured frantically for Ron to do the same with Harry.

She sighed in relief as she found one and Ron gave her a thumbs up, indicating that Harry was still with them also.

Hermione cast a wary eye over the silver pebble halves as she levitated the two boys to the hospital wing.

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"Incredible really!" Dumbledore gushed as he examined the pebble in the light of the hospital wing.

"Absolutely incredible! You managed to make it perfectly. No inaccuracy's anywhere! Well done miss granger! And Mr. Blaise of course – if he were with us yet"

Both the head teacher and Hermione's eyes fell on Blaise's sleeping body. Apparently the potion was so strong that it could drain a wizard of their strength for up to two weeks. It was why the potion should never be drunk as a last minute advantage.

Hermione jumped as she heard the scrunching of covers from behind her.

"Harry?" She turned to see Harry propping himself up on the pillows madam Pomfrey had plumped for her favourite; and most frequent; patient.

It didn't surprise her that Harry had awoken so early from the ordeal. He was much stronger the Blaise, and hadn't lost any blood.

She ran across to hug him and he grinned.

"How do you feel Harry?"

"Yeah, okay." He replied, stiffly. "Is Blaise still out?"

Hermione nodded.

"Ah mr. potter! Your awake at last!" Hermione retreated from Harry's bedside as professor Dumbledore approached.

Hermione approached Blaise's sleeping form and gazed at him sadly. What had he apologized for, before he'd finished the potion?

Her eyes travelled down his still frame, then rested on his forearm, where he'd cut himself.

The scar he'd left was in the shape of a tiny letter H…….

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Blaise was still unconscious when the time came for Hermione to leave for her work experience at the ministry.

She sat miserably by his bedside, until professor McGonagall was forced to drag her into Dumbledore's office, in order to floo to the ministry, where mr. Weasley would be waiting for her.

The Weasley's had arranged to have Hermione stay at the burrow during the next two weeks as it was illegal to floo inside the ministry itself, and for her safety.

Harry watched her leave the hospital wing after he had promised to stay with Blaise till he awoke, then turned back to keep an eye on his charge.

"Potter? Please stop watching me. "Im not going to die." Blaise slowly, opened one eye and then proceeded to try and sit upright.

"Don't try, your still too weak" Harry replied, insisting Blaise lie down again and Blaise stuck out his tongue at the Gryffindor boy, who rolled his eyes.

"Where's mione?"

"She left for the ministry about five minutes ago"

"WHAT!" Blaise yelled, bolting upright.

Harry repeated his last sentence, but blasé was already trying to scramble out of bed.

"I need to talk to her. You don't understand potter! Let go of me!"

"MR. ZABINI!" Madam Pomfreys' stern voice silenced the two boys and they peered meekly up at the furious looking mediwitch.

"I suggest Mr. Zabini that you get back into bed and stop being such an annoyance!" She roared. Blaise pulled his covers up under his chin obediently. Harry cowered behind a vase of flowers, suddenly wishing he actually was a carnation so his disguise could be better.

"Thank you" the mediwitch sighed, "now keep quiet and get some rest!"

"This is your fault"

"Is not"

"Is"

S'not"

"Is"

"Sod off!"

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There was a definite change in the air, Ginny thought, as she breathed in the sweet spring breeze, as she sauntered round the dark waters of the lake early one morning.

In the last week several things had shifted. Amy and Brett had returned to New York and their own school, Hermione was working at the ministry; and if her letters were anything to go by, she was having a blast – as only Hermione could when working solidly for eight hours a day!

She wrote each of them a letter everyday. Her own and Ron's were short, sweet and informative. Harry's tended to be longer and full of "take care of yourself" undertones. And of course Blaise's were about a foot longer then all of theirs, spanning several pages of thick white parchment and written in a delicate curling script; which he devoured hungrily every morning at breakfast.

Ginny and Harry's relationship had changed too. They were now able to speak normally and exchange friendly gestures in the hallways. Ginny suspected it had something to do with his blossoming courtship with Amy. Anyway, whatever the cause, Harry was happy and that made Ginny feel less guilty.

And then of course there was her own relationship with Draco. She had never believed she could be this close to someone before she'd met Draco. He wasn't just her boyfriend, but her best friend and confident. She told him everything and missed him dreadfully if she spent even ten minutes away from is side.

He had received his dark mark a week previous, and Ginny hadn't uttered one word of distaste as he revealed the inky black stain on his pale, pale skin. She knew he had no choice. They didn't have a lot of choice in many things in their relationship. They couldn't go public with their courtship. She still had to pretend to hate him in class and in the corridors and vice versa. This was simply another obstacle in their path, but it didn't change how they felt about each other.

She watched as the giant squid sculled its way gently across the surface of the lake as she awaited her owl from Hermione.

A minute later, a huge tawny owl fluttered onto her outstretched arm and deposited a letter in her hand.

_**Dear Ginny,**_

**_Hope you're well today._**

**_Still can't believe im working with so many important witches and wizards! It's amazing._**

_**I was wondering if you would do me a favour?**_

**_It's Blaise's eighteenth birthday tomorrow, and I need you to give him his present from me. _**

**_It's in the second drawer of my bedside table._**

_**Thank you,**_

'_**Mione X**_

Ginny frowned whilst scribbling a hasty "yes" on the back of the letter and returning it to the owl, who immediately took off again.

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On day where smiling seemed completely impossible, Blaise should have known that Hermione would be the one to make the impossible, achievable.

Ginny Weasley had delivered a beautifully wrapped box to his dormitory early that morning. A birthday present from Hermione, he had guessed instantly, ripping open the silver paper slowly. To be honest, he couldn't be less in the mood for presents if he tried. However it was from Hermione and he loved her, so he'd try on her behalf.

As he'd ripped the last of the paper off and revealed a small wooden box, with a note attached, he began to smile.

**_Aim at least one at Pansy. Happy birthday X _**

He pulled the lid off the box and gazed down at the contents. Seven shimmering splatter darts winked innocently up at him. He smiled evilly.

"Oh, Pansy!"

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"Pansy looks less then happy this morning!" Laughed Ron, as a dishevelled looking pansy scuttled into the great hall, her hair wringing wet.

"I don't believe it…."

Ron glanced across at Harry, who was staring at the letter in his hand, as if it had just announced him the winner of several million galleons.

"What is it mate?" Ron leaned across to take the letter from Harry, who still looked shocked.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_We are extremely happy and honoured to offer you an opportunity to audition for our international quidditch scouting panel on the 15th of March at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry._

_We have heard only great things of your flying talent and abilities and hope you accept this offer as we are certain that our panel will deem you worthy of a place on one of the major quidditch teams in the country._

_Please reply as soon as possible and we hope to see you on the 15th._

_Many Thanks,_

_Bert Ingles,_

_MD of The English Quidditch Association and The Young British Quidditch Players Association._

Ron's jaw fell open, as he too stared helplessly at the piece of paper in front of him.

Ginny had had enough.

"What's going on!" she demanded of Harry who was recovering slightly.

"Ive...erm……been asked to audition for the major quidditch teams by Bert Ingles……" he stammered.

"What," Ginny cried, grabbing and scanning the letter, "the Bert Ingles! Oh my god Harry! This is incredible!"

"Congratulations Mr. Potter" Professor McGonagall smiled down at the shell shocked boy.

"It seems my recommendation fell on the right ears"

Harry then did something that would embarrass him for months to come. He hugged professor McGonagall in complete elation, as the whole hall stared incredulously at the strange sight before them.

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"So are you going to take it if they offer you a place?" Hermione asked as she spoke to him and Ron through the floo network later that evening.

Harry nodded.

"I think so. I mean if all goes according to plan with the whole prophecy thing and im still alive at the end of it" Harry snorted, hiding his fear of his having to kill or be killed destiny, "then auror's will be a dying profession, and well I love quidditch. I was born to play it"

Hermione smiled, "well congratulations!" She said warmly.

"By the way, has anyone seen Blaise today? You know since…….?"

Harry nodded.

"I waited for him when he returned, but he just went straight to bed. He looked awful mione…"

Hermione bit her lip worriedly.

"Do you think I should come home?" she asked him.

Harry considered this for a minute, before replying.

"If you think it's the right thing and your employers don't mind then maybe-"

"Harry! Yes or no?"

"Yes. Come home Hermione"

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A/N: So! Lots of developments are happening! Ive kinda got into the routine of giving you all a recap so here goes…………..

Harry and Amy have hit it off big time and therefore Ginny and Harry are friends again.

Harry's been offered a chance to play for a major quidditch team!

Hermione has done some work experience at the ministry but is going to cut it short to come back to Hogwarts to look after Blaise – who has just received his dark mark.

Ginny and Draco are living happily ever after – well for now anyways!

Got it? Good!

There are going to be some major developments in the next chapter and its going to be a long one!

A major obstacle in Blaise and Hermione's relationship will occur.

We'll learn more about Blaise's past and skills.

Ron will find out what he's really good at.

And a major character will no longer be with us! – Maybe it's too soon but I can't wait any longer!

HaHaHa! Im so evil!


	13. Just One More Day With You

Chapter Thirteen: One more Day With You

**_It's sad but true,  
I'd rather be with you. _**

it will be only you and me  
before too long.

So little time so much to do,  
I rather spend my days with you,  
So little time so much to do,  
I'd like to spend one day with you,  
And if that day is not enough,  
Maybe we can stay in touch,  
But I'm not making plans for tomorrow,  
For tomorrow never comes.

"Have you seen him today?"

Harry shook his head as Hermione burst through the Gryffindor portrait hole, her question on the tip of her tongue.

She bit her lip in concern and began to pace the floor space in front of the fireplace.

"Mione, just sit down and lets discuss this rationally" Harry suggested calmly. Hermione threw him an evil look.

"Im going to go see him!" she declared finally, after a little more pacing just to piss off Harry.

"Hermione……"

Harry's warning fell on deaf ears as she sped past him and in the direction of the dungeons.

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"Blaise?"

Hermione called her boyfriend's name as she slowly edged into his private dorm room.

He lay outstretched on his bed, staring up at the four poster's canopy, eyes wide open, but not moving a muscle. She suspected he had been like this since he'd returned.

"Blaise? Are you okay? Do you want to talk?" She ventured tentatively, knowing just how explosive his temper could be.

She watched as he lay there a little longer, his dark hair falling softly across his ale, tired face.

"Not really," he replied finally, a cold tone in his voice. "What I really want to do is to hold you and to put my arms around you, but I can't."

Hermione wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"Don't be silly, of course you can," she said, moving towards him. "Nothings changed, just because of the mark you know."

He lowered his huge cobalt eyes to her face, and she could suddenly see that they were rimmed with red.

She stepped closer still, then was suddenly thrown backwards forcefully.

"Blaise? What was that," Her voice came out high pitched and extremely frightened.

Blaise slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, and gazed at her scared face miserably.

"The potion, I used my blood because of you, because you were Harry's friend and I loved you." He started, stammering slightly, "the dark mark sees me as a traitor, so it has taken away the one thing that made me betray it – you."

Hermione stood limply in the corner of the room.

"So, I can't touch you….cant come near you?" she whispered finally, her voice breaking and Blaise nodded.

"I think you should go Hermione. You had a shock," he spoke the words not unkindly, but with a firm tone, and she seemed to visibly pull herself together.

"Okay," she agreed, "but this isn't it, you know, I still love you, this isn't going to change that"

Blaise watched her leave the room and as soon as the door had banged shut, he collapsed in exhaustion on his bed.

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"You're kidding me!"

Hermione had just finished repeating what had happened with her and Blaise to Ron, Harry and Ginny. The four were sat down by the lake, basking in the spring sunshine, watching as Hagrid, in the far distance attempted to teach fang, his dog, to play catch. It wasn't working.

Harry gaped at Hermione.

"Seriously? You can't even go near him?" he probed and she nodded sadly.

Harry ran a distracted hand through his hair and sighed heavily.

"God, 'mione. I am so so sorry…," he muttered as if angry with himself.

Hermione shrugged.

"It's not your fault, you weren't to know," she soothed his worries, "I do intend to do something about it you realise"

Ron grinned, "Ah! There's the Hermione we all know and love! So how you gonna fix this one then?"

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The morning of the quidditch association audition had finally arrived. The conditions were perfect; gentle breezes, not too much sun, solid ground for a good clean kick off.

Harry noted all of this with a knot in his stomach. If he screwed up, there would be nothing to take the blame except his lack of talent.

The Raven claw team poured onto the pitch looking excited and beamed and waved at Harry as they passed him and his team.

Dumbledore had decided that a friendly match against the Raven claws; the team least likely to cheat that were still a challenge for the Gryffindor's; would be the best way to show the scouts just what Harry could do.

_Just treat it like a normal match. _

That's what everyone had been saying to him for the past week, but it wasn't a normal match. His career could depend on it!

He breathed in deeply for a few minutes, to steady himself, and then mounted his broom.

"Okay guys," he called over his shoulder at his expertly put together team.

Ron was his keeper, dean and Seamus got the role of the beaters and had a lot of strength between them. Ginny made up a third of the chasers; the other two positions being filled by two of Harry's greatest finds. Sandra Chiswick, a burly fifth year girl, who flew like a bullet, and Catherine Goaten, a stunning sixth year, who had originally charmed her way onto the team, but who later turned out to be a fantastic flyer. If a little slutty…….

The team looked up at him in anticipation of one of his incredible pep talks.

Harry shrugged, grinned and then simply said four words.

"Don't fuck this up"

The team chuckled and followed Harry round the pitch before taking their places, awaiting madam hooch's whistle.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

The balls were released and Harry darted forward after the snitch.

Meanwhile Catherine had already woven her way through the Raven claw defence and scored, winking at one of the younger male judges as she did so. He blushed.

Ron, Harry noticed was defending the quaffle left, right and centre a look of insane concentration on his face.

Suddenly they scored twice more, Ginny and Catherine had done it again!

Harry grinned, then remembered why he was up here, floating around on a piece of wood.

_Snitch! _He thought over and over again in his head.

Then he spotted it, a glint of gold and white feathers out of the corner of his eye.

The Raven claw seeker was already diving for it.

Bugger it! He cursed, dropping into a dive.

He was gaining, gaining…. No actually……..he was going to crash.

The snitch was hovering just a inch above the ground. He would have to crash to get it surely.

The Raven claw seeker had had the same thought apparently as he looked desperately in Harry's direction. At a bout three metres above the ground, he pulled up, wobbling from the force of having dived from seventy feet.

Harry however spun his broom in midair, so the tail of it just brushed the floor and then flicked the snitch into the air with the broom tail, catching it easily as it spiralled past his head.

"YES!" Ron yelled, zooming towards his mate and hugging him. The rest of the team joining in shortly after. Harry beamed. They had won!

He glanced over at the judges who were all conferring deeply, and suddenly became very worried. However they soon hurried over and the team dispersed.

"Mr. Potter! How wonderful to meet you!" a man with a bushy moustache shook his hand exuberantly.

"I am Bert Ingles. Can I say what a pleasure it was to see such determination in such a young player! Shall we retire to a more formal setting sir?"

Harry nodded and followed Bert through the castle to Dumbledore's office.

"Hello Harry. Good match?" the headmaster greeted Harry and poured him a cup of tea.

Bert Ingles and his two companions seated themselves opposite Dumbledore and Harry, smiling excitedly.

"Well well well Dumbledore, where have you been hiding him all these years?" Bert seemed ecstatic with Harry's performance.

"This is Julie-Anne Grey and Dillon Montague, the owners of the Montague Hawks quidditch team"

Harry knew them to be the best team in England.

"And Dillon here is also the coach and manager of the English quidditch team, alongside myself."

_Okay, im sat opposite the three most influential people in quidditch_, thought Harry, suddenly nervous again.

"Harry, we were very impressed," Dillon spoke now, in a soft London drawl, "we'd very much like to offer you a position on our team."

"Really?" Harry stammered, incoherently.

Dillon nodded furiously.

"Yes. Now our seeker, Fred Kingsly is retiring at the end of the season, would you perhaps be willing to take over from him?"

Harry stared at him in disbelief.

"I thought id just be a reserve or something…." He murmured in astonishment.

Dillon smiled, "well Harry the job is yours in September, if you want it?"

Harry sat there stunned into silence. He had dreamed of becoming a professional seeker, and now it was being handed to him on a plate. A platinum edged, ruby encrusted plate actually he mused in amusement.

"Thank you," he said finally, "I would love to join your team."

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"Harry? Harry! What happened? What did they offer you? Are you a reserve?"

Harry shook his head at Hermione's questions.

"Not exactly…" he muttered, then smiled up at their curious faces.

"As of the end of the season, im going to be the Montague Hawk's new seeker!"

That was when he fainted.

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"Ginny? Ginny! Guess what!" Hermione dashed into Ginny's dormitory, to find the younger girl.

She was lying motionless on her bed.

"Harry's going to be a professional seeker!"

Ginny didn't say anything and Hermione was suddenly very aware that she was lying very still, seemingly staring into space.

"Ginny?" Hermione's voice was softer now, full of concern as she moved to perch on the bed beside Ginny.

"He's dead." The younger girl squeaked through her silent tears, which were rolling uncontrollably down her face.

"Who's dead sweetie?" Hermione asked.

"He's dead. Draco's dead!" She wailed, a fresh tidal wave of tears cascading down her cheeks.

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"How could you not know?" Blaise asked Hermione, who was still recovering from the fact that Ginny and Draco had been dating.

"They were inseparable. They started dating officially during the trip to New York and have been together ever since."

Blaise it seemed had been the only one to know about Ginny's illicit affair, and so it was he who now filled her, Harry and Ron in.

Ginny had disappeared after dinner, still in complete distress, her cheeks continually soaked with tears. The Slytherin's had been incredibly subdued at dinner ,as had the teachers.

Hermione picked uninterestedly at her food.

"Maybe I should go and find her?" she offered, not knowing what she'd say if she did.

Blaise shook his head.

"I'll go", he left them staring after his rewtreating frame, wondering how so much could have happened in so little time.

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"Ginny?"

Ginny had been sat on Draco's bed in the heads dormitory when Blaise entered.

She glanced up at him hollowly and Blaise went to her, wrapping his arms around her and letting her cry.

"Why?" She sobbed into his collar and Blaise shrugged.

"Merlin knows! It's not fair I know" he replied angrily. Draco had been his best friend, his only true friend. And now he was gone.

Presently, Blaise stood up and crossed the bedroom to Draco's wardrobe. Seeing all of Draco's clothes made Ginny cry again, but Blaise reached inside and pulled out a small wooden box.

He took a key from around his neck and opened the box's lid.

He sat down next to Ginny and placed the box on the bed.

"This was Draco's most prized possession. It contains his most precious belongings."

Ginny pulled out a couple of pictures of Draco as a child, with his parents. Looking happier then ever.

"These were his mother's" Blaise commentated as he pulled out a pair of tatty silk gloves.

"From her wedding day" he added, and Ginny took them, admiring the intricate design. It had been three years since his mother had died at the hands of her own husband and Draco's father. Ginny didn't think Draco would have ever forgiven his father for that.

They sifted through his birth certificate, several tiny intricate trinkets, a watch belonging to his grandfather and a piece of folded up parchment which Blaise grabbed suddenly.

"Sweet Merlin! I didn't think he'd kept this….." he murmured and Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. Blaise smiled sadly.

"We wrote this when we were kids, in our first year. It was a list of everything we wanted to do by the time we left Hogwarts."

He unfolded the parchment and scanned it for a second.

Ginny placed a hand on his arm.

"I think you should take this box. He was your best friend."

Blaise shook his head.

"No. I just want this" he said indicating to the letter in his hand and Ginny nodded.

"Aha! This is what I was looking for" Blaise pulled out a tiny velvet box from the corner of the larger box.

He handed it to Ginny, who opened it to reveal the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen.

"This is beautiful, whose is it?" she asked in awe.

Blaise smiled.

"Its yours." he replied. And Ginny stared up at him in confusion.

"Mine?"

"Yes – Draco was going to ask you to marry him."

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A/N: HAHAHAHA! Nearly got ya! You all thought it was ginny who'd died! Oh poor drakie! What shall we do!

Recap anyone?

Harry's gonna be famous!

Hermione's a little bit dimm when it comes to secret love affairs.

Draco's well...dead... :(

Ginny's in tears.

Blaise and hermione can't be near each other due to some pesky potion and a rather icky tattoo - bad voldy!

Draco was gonna ask our favorite red head to marry him - no not ron ... ewwww - but then he poppd his clogs - how inconvient can that blonde sex god get? huh?

READ AND REVIEW! OR I WILL SET THE GHOST OF DRACO ON YOU! i killed him, i control him! HEEHEEHEE!

I think i need a therapist...


	14. Lost Without You

**Chapter Fourteen: Lost Without You**

_I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes  
You might say a little righteous and too proud  
I just want to find a way to compromise  
Cos I believe that we can work things out_

I thought I had all the answers, never gave an end  
But baby since you've gone I admit that I was wrong

All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie  
How am I going to be strong without you I need you by my side  
If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm  
lost without you  
I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you

How my ever gonna get rid of these blues  
Baby I'm so lonely all the time  
Everywhere I go I get so confused  
You're the only thing that's on my mind

Oh my beds so cold at night and I miss you more each day  
Only you can make it right no I'm not too proud to say

If I could only hold you now and make the pain just go away  
Can't stop the tears from rolling down my face  
Oh

All I know is I'm lost without you I'm not gonna lie  
How am I going to be strong without you I need you by my side  
If we ever say we'll never be together and we ended with goodbye don't know what I'd do ...I'm  
lost without you  
I keep trying to find my way but all I know is I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to face the day I'm lost without you

"Wow……."

Ron slumped down on the couch next to Hermione, and joined her in staring aimlessly into the fireplace.

"Yeah" Hermione agreed.

"What a night. Harry's going to be even more famous, Ginny was dating Malfoy. Malfoy's ……_dead!_ I actually can't believe that…don't really want to believe, if you know what I mean…" he murmured.

Hermione reached across and covered his hand with her own and Ron clasped her fingers with his.

"Yeah I know, Ron. It's kinda hard to believe, isn't it?" She replied softly and Ron nodded.

"So, are you and Blaise going to be okay?" he asked after a few minutes.

Hermione sighed deeply.

"You know, I have no idea to be honest. I thought everything was going to be okay but its not." She paused, thoughtfully," isn't it darkly ironic that both Ginny and I said that Draco and Blaise having the dark mark would change nothing for us. And yet it took away everything we promised we'd keep forever. It took away Draco and its trying to take away Blaise."

Ron squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"Well, you know what they say," he grinned, inappropriately for the moment, "love will always triumph over evil!"

"That was so cheesy!" Hermione laughed, as she smacked him with one of the many cushions that adorned the couch.

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"He was going to propose?" Ginny stared blankly at the black haired boy in front of her, and he nodded.

Ginny slipped the ring out of the box and twirled it between her fingers. If things had been different, she'd might have been about to become Mrs. Ginny Malfoy!

Blaise handed her a tissue as she started to cry again.

"I would have said yes, you know" she sniffed, whilst desperately trying to dry her eyes.

Blaise smiled, awkwardly.

"I know," Blaise replied, "and Draco knew. He said it wasn't too soon to ask, because he knew you were meant to be. I think it may have been the _sole _cheesy comment he ever made."

Ginny laughed flatly.

"Do you think I can…….?" She gestured to the ring.

"Of course, it's yours." Blaise said, whilst Ginny slid the smooth platinum band onto her left ring finger, "that's where it was always meant to be."

Ginny held her hand up in front of her. So this is what it would have felt like to have been with Draco forever.

"You know Blaise," she said suddenly, and he turned to face her once again.

"I had no choice in letting Draco go, but you've got every choice on whether you and Hermione make it or not. Go and make it right."

Blaise stared at her, and then nodded, a smile creeping over his lips.

"Thanks Ginny, Draco was lucky to have you."

The petite red head watched him go, before wiping her eyes for a final time. She slid the ring off her finger, and strung it onto the thin gold chain that hung round her neck, and felt it drop onto her torso, just above her heart. Exactly where it ought to be, she decided sadly.

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"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!"

Hermione and Ron, their cushion fight having developed into a frustrated and lonely make out session, broke apart abruptly, as Blaise's voice roared in their ears.

"Blaise, wait! C'mon we need to talk about this!"

Hermione dashed after Blaise, hastily pulling down her skirt and throwing an angry look at Ron, who appeared less the unhappy with the course of events.

"Blaise! Stop!"

Blaise halted just in front of the castle entrance, and spun round to look at her, arms folded and a sarcastically curious expression on his otherwise calm features.

Hermione faltered for a minute, causing Blaise to smirk.

"Look, I was confused, I was lonely. You haven't looked at me in days! I just needed a bit of comfort that's all."

"A bit! Bloody hell, Hermione, it looked like you were getting a little bit more the _a bit_!", he spat.

"Listen Blaise! It is not my fault that this potion thing backfired!"

Blaise snorted.

"You _do_ think it is my fault!" Hermione cried, realisation flooding over her," well its not! I didn't ask to you to fall in love me with, did I! _You're_ the one who did that, who finished the potion, who lied to me about its affects! If _anyone_ should be angry it's me!"

Blaise fell very quiet all of a sudden, causing Hermione to feel a wave of guilt spread through her body.

"Your right" he said finally.

"I am?" Hermione was shocked.

"Yes, of course you're sodding well right. You always are!" he groaned, running frustrated hands through his hair.

"its just I cant stand to think of you with anyone else and just thinking of you with Ron………"

His eyes suddenly grew very dark, and an angry expression flooded his features.

"It just makes me so angry to think of him …and you"

Hermione became strangely aware that the lights were flickering and the doors seemed to be rattling on their hinges.

"Blaise……?"

CRASH!

Hermione squealed and threw herself onto the floor, as all of the glass in the window panes in the entrance hall smashed, showering them in glittering shards.

Almost as quickly as it had happened, all was quiet again. Hermione slowly and unsurely got to her feet.

"Blaise, what happened?" she asked in a strangled voice. Blaise was staring warily around him at the damage.

"Hermione, I think I have a problem……."

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"This has happened before?" Hermione repeated, as Blaise filled her in on the strange happenings that occurred when he was angry.

He nodded.

"Ever wonder how Harry managed to escape that night at Godric's hollow?"

Hermione thought back and her mouth parted in an "o" of surprise and insight.

"Well, this kind of power is usually hereditary. Are your parents particularly powerful?" she asked, her bookish side suddenly reappearing.

Blaise shrugged, causing Hermione to frown.

"You don't know? Have they ever done anything like you just did?"

Yet again Blaise looked completely at a loss. Eventually he shrugged and gave in. He'd never told anyone, but Hermione was different.

"Im adopted mione"

"Oh"

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"This is the only photograph of my mother I have. My father apparently died before my birth. He was an early starter in Voldemort's group of followers. They were both only sixteen when I was conceived. That's all I know, from the file I found in my father's desk, before he discovered me looking and destroyed it"

Hermione took the picture from Blaise, as she listened intently to his story.

"Oh good Merlin!" She jumped to her feet, as she looked at the picture.

"What is it?" Blaise asked, curiously, as Hermione waved the photo in front of him.

"Do you know who this is!" She cried.

"Er…..my mother. I thought we established this Hermione. Geez if you're the top student in this school, we can't be doing to well in the magical school intelligence ratings can we!"

Hermione however, had already dashed over to the bookshelf, and was pulling down various dust coated volumes.

"Aha!" she yelped excitedly. She dragged a huge book over to the coffee table and plonked in down in front of Blaise, opening it at a page on dark magic and its creators.

"Recognize anyone?" she probed.

Blaise looked down, at what was clearly a picture of his mother, maybe five years older then in the photo he had of her. He quickly scanned the writing beneath the photo.

_Dahlia Vourn was one of the most powerful followers of the dark lord. Her power was immense and used to create some of today's most dangerous curses, including the killing curse. She died whilst trying to protect a magical residence from her master, for unknown reasons. She was rumoured to have created the elixir of life whilst at school, with her partner, teenage genius, Blaise Kendal, who also died at the hand of the dark lord. It is suspected that the elixir was inside the house that the dark lord attempted to attack._

Blaise snorted with laughter and Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

"What?" she said, rescanning the text, "wow! She made the elixir of life!"

Blaise laughed again.

"No, she didn't. She had a warped sense of humour."

Hermione frowned at him.

"Listen; when I was five years old our house was attacked by death eaters. It had only been five minutes, when it stopped and one of their own was killed. My mother. Ours was the house in question. And therefore I must be the-"

"Elixir of life!" Hermione finished, and Blaise nodded.

"The elixir of life allows a person to live forever, and so she gave birth to me- with the help of my father – this Blaise Kendal – and therefore kept her family line open. Her bloodline will live forever." He explained, not that Hermione needed it – she was already steps ahead of him.

"She died to protect you right? Therefore, just like Harry, her protection gives you a certain power over Voldemort. That is why your blood worked so well with the potion, and why he wanted to kill you. He obviously knew about your mother's and your connection and was threatened, so he tried to kill you."

Blaise stared at her.

"You got all that from this?" he said incredulously, pointing at the book.

Hermione shrugged.

"Im a highly cynical and dramatic person. Plus; im far too intelligent for you to even contemplate"

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"You got all of that from this?"

Professor Dumbledore seemed just as shocked at their discovery as Blaise.

"Er yes professor" Hermione confirmed.

"What happened to intellect you can't contemplate?" Blaise asked her mockingly out of the corner of his mouth. If Hermione were able to kick him, she would have done. Instead she settled, grudgingly, for glaring at him. It worked just as effectively she found, as Blaise raised his hands in surrender.

"Well Mr. Zabini, this is incredibly informing. We had wondered why the glass in the entrance hall windows was missing."

Blaise shifted uncomfortably in his chair and blushed a little.

"Im sorry?"

"Don't be – horrible colour it was – should never have let Severus pick out the design!" Dumbledore babbled.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Blaise, who shrugged in response.

"Well it seems that you will be needing to learn to control this power of yours. Your mother was a highly powerful witch, a member of lord Voldemort's inner circle and a relation to several highly powerful blood lines including that of Merlin's, the blacks and the daeatas'. All very strong and pin-pricked with dark magic all over the place. You, I do believe, are the end product of several distinguished and illustrious blood ties and magical bonds. That is where your power stems from."

Blaise took in this new information. He was related to Merlin, to the black family and the daeatas – one of the most elusive magical societies in the world.

"I think im going to be sick"

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Several floors away, in the Gryffindor sixth year girl's dormitory, Ginny Weasley uttered those exact same words. And promptly, unlike Blaise, threw up.

"Ginny? Do you want me to get madam Pomfrey?"

One of Ginny's dorm mates, a sweet girl named Ophelia Dawson, held back her hair, whilst expressing her concern for the red heads' well being.

Ginny shook her head.

"It's probably just a bug, Lia. It'll pass"

"Will you be okay for the funeral tomorrow?"

Ginny paled. She had forgotten momentarily about Draco's funeral. She nodded.

"Of course. Ill be there." She replied grimly, before throwing up once again.

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"I heard you weren't feeling well gin?"

Hermione caught up with the younger girl, in the corridor, the next morning, as they walked slowly out of the castle and down the path to the small but beautiful church in Hogsmede. Nearly the entire school was attending the funeral. Draco had been a great head boy, a confident for many Slytherin's and an idol to many younger students.

Not to mention the long stream of weeping girls, who all claimed to have been the love Draco's life.

Ginny felt her jealously ebb away as she clutched the ring inside her robes. She was the one he'd loved. She would have been marrying him if things had been different. He had loved her.

"Yeah, was sick last night that's al. nothing to worry about."

Hermione frowned, placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder, stopping her.

"Ophelia said it's been happening a lot recently. Ginny are you…..?"

Ginny sighed, pulling out of the older girl's grasp.

"I don't know. Maybe. I don't think I want to know to be honest."

"Ginny! Don't be silly! You have to know if it's healthy!"

Ginny shrugged.

"why? It's not as if im going to keep it!"

Hermione stared as the other girl continued her walk to her boyfriend's funeral.

_Damn it Hermione. You really screwed that one up!_

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"Ron? I need to talk to you?"

Hermione peered round the corner of the quidditch changing rooms after practice one afternoon.

"Oh! Im so sorry!" she yelped, as she caught an eyeful of Ron's rather under dressed frame.

"Mione! Knock first please!" he laughed, pulling a towel around him.

"Now what did you want to say?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter. Ill talk to you later Ron" she said as she made to leave.

"Hermione? Did you want to head into Hogsmede?" Hermione fell backwards into Ron, as the door opened abruptly, revealing Blaise's now angry face.

"What's going on!" he yelled, and Hermione was suddenly aware of her uncompromising position on top of Ron, who's towel was precariously held in place at the moment.

"Nothing!" she squeaked, blushing furiously.

"Yeah right! Just like the last time yeah?" Blaise was in full throttle now. "I thought we worked this out mione?"

Ron suddenly interrupted Blaise.

"Nothing happened! God, you two. Why do you keep doing this to each other! Sometimes you should just trust her" He rounded on Blaise, and then turned to Hermione, "he's doing his best okay, just cut him some slack! Im locking you both in here until you agree on something and stop creating these annoying situations where I am wearing little more then a towel!"

"Weasley! Don't you dare!"

But Ron had already turned the key in the lock.

Blaise stared wildly at Hermione, who smiled suddenly.

"Well at least were alone for a while!" she grinned.

"Hermione, you know I can't – the potion……."

"That is where this comes in!" she said, pulling a gold time turner from beneath her robes with a flourish.

"Is that a time turner?" Blaise asked, taking it from her.

She nodded in glee.

"I've been working on it for some time now. For us. It's set for about two weeks ago. Before you got the mark. I think it'll work……" She explained.

Blaise frowned, "before Draco died as well, you realise?"

Hermione nodded.

"I know and im sorry, but I couldn't think of any other way. Ive missed you so much."

"I know. Me too." He smiled, "okay… let's do this!"

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Two weeks back, and three hours later, Blaise kissed Hermione as he stirred, after their first night together in weeks. He had forgotten how right it felt lying next to her, listening to her breathing. Only this time, they had taken the next step forward.

"I love you"

Hermione stirred and smiled warmly up at the boy lying next to her.

"I love you too"

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"Hey gin"

Ginny gave Harry a brief smile as he fell in line with her, as she stood looking out over the lake.

"How are you? Yesterday was rough…"

"Yeah," she answered softly, "Harry, do you think you could help me?"

Harry peered down at her curiously.

"Of course. What do you need?" he answered kindly.

"I need you to come with me to St. Mungo's this Saturday"

"Your not ill, are you gin?"

Harry's concern made Ginny feel even more of a bitch then she did already.

"No – I have a problem to take care of……"

Harry's realisation swiftly flooded his face.

"Oh Ginny….," he whispered, and she nodded grimly.

"You don't have to, you know. I can help. We could get back together – platonically if you want. I've got enough galleons to support us….." He stopped babbling for a second and looked at Ginny, whose lip was trembling.

"No Harry. Thank you, but I can't do this. Were too young – we have futures mapped out. Did you know that I got accepted for mediwitch training in London? And your about to become a quidditch star! No"

Harry nodded, and then pulled the girl to him, holding her tightly.

"Well, ill be here, no matter what, okay?"

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"Hey, Harry! Where you off to?" Ron came bounding out of his four poster as Harry pulled on his shoes, the next Saturday morning.

"er….nowhere…," Harry lied," photo shot with the quidditch team, nothing major"

Ron watched as his friend disappeared down the stairs. Only Harry potter could call world wide fame _nothing major_.

As Ron walked down the corridors to the great hall, for breakfast, all he seemed to hear, were whispers about Harry's forthcoming quidditch career.

"_I hear he's going to make a million galleons an hour!"_

"_Do you think he'd sign my broom?"_

Don't do this Ron, he thought, as he felt his envy slowly clamber back to the front of his mind. He settled himself at the Gryffindor table and piled some bacon onto his plate.

"_That's Harry's best friend. Ron – something……..oh who cares…"_

Ron snapped. He was not a nobody! He got up abruptly, his plate clattering to the floor, and charged furiously out of the great hall and back up to his dormitory.

He pulled out a flyer, that he'd preserved in his top drawer and smoothed it out.

_**International Chess Tournament!**_

The heading proclaimed and Ron smiled.

**_Saturday 4th April. 3pm. The Oakwood hall – London. _**Ron jotted down the relative information, gathered his favourite, albeit rather chipped, chess set, and dashed out of Gryffindor tower.

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"So miss. Weasley. I will be back in ten minutes, if you'd just like to sign all the relevant paperwork for me?"

Ginny nodded, as the kindly nurse smiled and handed her several sheets of paper and a pen.

"Do you have a friend who can take you home?"

Ginny nodded again, sending a silent prayer of thanks to Harry, who was waiting outside.

Once the nurse had left, Ginny rapidly signed the eight pieces of paper and placed them on the bed next to where she sat.

Subconsciously she placed a hand on her stomach. A baby. Her baby. Draco's baby. It would be gone in less then half an hour. Every last shred of Draco would have evaporated from this world.

If things had been different, would she have kept it?

Of course. She and Draco would have been married and this would be their first child. The perfect family.

"Im sorry" she whispered to her still flat stomach.

"Im sorry Draco" she whispered to nowhere in particular.

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"Are you okay?" Harry hugged her as she stepped out of the clinic ten minutes later, fully dressed.

"Of course," she smiled, "both mother and baby are fine"

Harry stared at her.

"Harry, Im gong to have a baby!" she laughed and Harry picked her up and swung her round in elation.

"I knew you wouldn't!" he cried hugging her tightly.

The nurse returned to find an empty bed and several shredded forms lying next to the pillow.

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"Aha! Take that!" Ron cried, enthusiastically as he slammed yet another of his opponents pieces. He manoeuvred his black pieces round the board, into a better position.

He couldn't quite believe this. He was in a final of a chess tournament, totally hammering the world's greatest junior champion, Jin Su-Ho, a mathematical genius from Korea.

"And……… CHECKMATE!"

"What-!" Jin stared as his queen was battered by Ron's bishop.

"Oh my god! I Won! I WON!" Ron punched the air as the huge surrounding crowd cheered for their new victor.

"Yes, Yes YES!"

"Mr. Weasley, Congratulations!"

The head of the international chess association was presenting him with the first prize: One thousand galleons and the biggest, shiniest gold cup Ron had ever seen. And it was his! Not Harry's, or Hermione's or any of his older brother's. His!

"Thank you. Can you have my money transferred into my account? Thanks"

After the arrangements were completed, Ron left the building quietly. He had done what he'd come to do. He'd won. Now he left as he'd come – through the back entrance, away from the crowds.

Harry may have been used to all this attention, but he was not.

"Ron Weasley?" he sped up as he heard a girl's voice calling him. He really didn't like this attention. His envy towards Harry had completely disappeared, and all he felt now was respect.

"Ron? I saw you play. You were okay. But zere's some moves zat you could improve on!"

Ron stopped. He'd just won one of the most important tournaments there was and he could improve?

He turned and his jaw dropped as he came face to face with possibly the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

Her dark chocolate hair curled round her shoulders, framing a perfectly pretty face, set with dark almond shaped eyes.

"'ello. Im Jemma Le Marseille, ze French junior champion? I wanted to talk to you about your opening gambit"

Ron closed his mouth, aware that he was staring.

"You want to get a coffee?" his voice coming out high pitched and strangled. Jemma giggled.

"Oui Monsieur"

She linked her arm through Ron's, his eyes still fixed on her, as they walked into London.

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Ginny slowly opened Draco's closet and ran a hand lightly over the shirts and robes that hung there.

Gradually she began to pack them into the boxes, left in his bedroom by Dumbledore, who knew Ginny would have wanted to have this responsibility.

"Hey baby. Look it's your daddy's things. Shall I keep them so you can know him when you grow up, hmmm?"

She kept up this dialogue with her child, as she packed Draco's possessions away. Clothes, his watch, his shoes all went neatly into the boxes. She suppressed a smile as she also packed away his hair gel and after shave, which she breathed in headily. Draco's scent.

Next she sat crossed legged on the floor, pain stakingly placing every single photo of Draco into a huge lather bound album and writing carefully its significance, the time and place underneath each one, so she wouldn't forget.

Once finished, she shrunk everything except the photo album to tiny proportions and stored them in her trunk.

Then she began the task of unpacking.

"Hey baby. Look were going to have our own room – next to aunt Hermione's." she gushed, sentimentally.

"Ginny are you talking to yourself?" Hermione's voice sounded from the doorway.

"Don't be silly. Im talking to my stomach!" she laughed.

"Want a hand?"

"That would be great, thanks"

"No problem, gin"

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A/N:

So………? What do you think? Some heavy stuff going on in that chapter.

Recap? Okay!

Ginny's pregnant and keeping the baby.

Hermione and Blaise are back together, mentally anyway – except for their moment of lust filled time travel.

Ron has finally found his own fame and hates it. However he's also found his own girl and loves it lol.

Blaise has powerful magical skills and his mother was an extremely famous dark and powerful witch. Oh er!

Severus Snape has no taste in décor.

In the next chapter…………

Blaise tries to control his powers……………

More is known about the potion's curse and its cure………

Harry meets his idol……..

And Ginny gets a letter from an old friend…………..

READ AND REVIEW.

P.S: I apologize for any traumatic or upsetting memories I may have triggered for any of my readers in this chapter.


	15. I Could Be Him

Chapter Fifteen: I Could Be Him

_When I wake up,_

_I'm willing to take my chances on the hope you hate him,_

_More than you notice I wrote this for you._

_You need him. I could be him..._

_I could be an accident but I'm still trying._

_That's more than I can say for him._

_Where is your boy tonight? I hope he is a gentleman.  
Maybe he won't find out what I know:_

_You were the last good thing about this part of town._

_Someday I'll appreciate in value, get off my ass and call you..._

_But for the meantime_

_I'll sport my brand new fashion of waking up with my clothes on_

_At 4:00 in the afternoon._

"Hey Gin!"

Harry burst into the heads common room during the third week of May. The sun was beaming, just matching the beam on Harry's face.

"Guess who Im meeting on Saturday!"

Ginny shook her head and gestured for him to continue.

"Delvin Excel! The England Seeker. And the rest of the team of course."

"Wow! That'd be so cool" Ginny grinned. Delvin Excel lived up to his name, as he was by far the best seeker in Europe.

"And guess who's coming with me?" Harry continued.

Ginny shrugged. Probably Ron, she thought, envy seeping through her.

"You!"

"Seriously!"

"Uh huh!"

Ginny leapt up and hugged Harry tightly, jumping around with excitement.

"Er gin? Is that good for the baby?" Harry asked.

"Good point," Ginny sat down again, suddenly feeling very tired. She was two months gone already, and she could see her body slowly gaining weight. In a month she would be showing a little and by July, she wouldn't be able to hide her bump. However as she would be home on the first of July, she wasn't worried.

"So, Saturday at three okay?"

"Okay!"

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Saturday arrived with the warmest weather and the clearest air of the summer so far.

What the hell do you wear to meet the English quidditch team? Thought Ginny frantically, as she delved through her closet.

"Ginny!" Harry called up to her for the fifth time that afternoon.

"c'mon! What's taking so long!"

"This…"

Harry, Ron and Hermione all stared at Ginny, as she descended the stairs. Looking at least two years older then normal, dressed in an elegant black shift dress and pretty silver sandals, she looked stunning; with her hair twisted up into a stylish knot at the back of her head.

"Wow gin. Your gonna turn some heads today" Harry grinned, slightly in awe.

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Harry's prediction had been nearly right. Ginny in fact turned every head, especially one in particular.

"Little Ginny Weasley! My my, how we've grown!"

"Ollie! How are you?"

Ginny grinned as she was swept up into the arms of Oliver Wood. Ex Gryffindor and old family friend. He had been a year above the twins at Hogwarts, making him a good five years her senior. However his boyish good looks and easy charm made him easy to talk to. His immature sense of humour helped a little too.

"Im fantastic! Im the English quidditch team keeper! I couldn't be better!" he beamed and Ginny laughed at his enthusiasm.

"But you look great," he continued, "What's brought on this then? Love?"

Ginny smiled.

"No, just a realisation that no matter how many things go wrong, Im still incredibly lucky." She replied.

"None of this philosophical stuff, gin." Oliver laughed, "C'mon, let's introduce you to the team and grab a coffee somewhere"

Ginny allowed herself to be led over to the other team members and introduced by Oliver.

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Sitting across from Oliver, in a quaint coffee house, in London, Ginny was struck by how good looking he really was.

Soft brown hair, which curled into his dark hazel eyes. Freckles that danced across his deeply tanned skin, and more muscles then you could count, made up this wholly knee trembling image.

"Are you okay?" Oliver's eyes were suddenly on Ginny, peering curiously at her, as all of a sudden she realised she was staring at him.

"Yes, sorry. I was miles away" She smiled.

"Me too. I was thinking how incredibly beautiful you are" he said casually, making her blush slightly.

"That was cheesy Mr. Wood!" she mocked gently and he grinned.

"Well what did you expect?" he chuckled.

"But seriously," he continued slowly, "would you go out with me sometime. Meet up for a drink or something?"

Ginny fiddled nervously with her napkin.

"Ollie – I would love to but you've gotta hear me out okay," she replied as he nodded, looking at her intently.

"About six months ago I fell in love. With Draco Malfoy."

Oliver's jaw dropped.

"But he's …….dead? Isn't he? Im sorry gin"

"Thanks. Yes, Draco is gone, and im kinda getting past it now and those feelings I had for him. In fact, I kept wishing all afternoon that you would want to see me again."

Oliver smiled but Ginny stopped him.

"Oh Oliver, there's something that might change your mind."

"What?" he asked earnestly.

"Well…… im …….im pregnant."

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Ginny sat there for a long time whilst Oliver processed her last sentence.

Finally he spoke.

"Gin, certainly it's a bit of a shock of course. But I still want to see you."

Ginny looked up into Oliver's eyes. Oliver who shed known for years; who's helped teach her to ride a broom; who'd sent her homemade birthday cards, when they were little.

"I know you may still love Draco, but maybe in time, it could be me instead?" he murmured.

Ginny continued to gaze at him.

"I don't…… I mean, I can't still love Draco" she muttered, as if voicing the thought for the very first time.

"How can I love a memory? What I don't have?"

"Gin….." Oliver's voice carried a hint of a reluctant tone, as he if didn't want her to push her feelings for him.

"Ollie. Come and meet me at Hogwarts tomorrow and we can, I don't know, hang out or something? Have a drink?" she said finally and Oliver nodded.

"Okay great. Eleven okay for you?"

"Perfect"

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Ginny smiled contentedly as she lounged back on the grassy slope next to the lake. After Oliver had been rampaged by several hormonal and lust filled teenage girls, all of whom wanted an autograph, the pair had settled down by the lake, with a drink and had instantly bonded.

"I can't believe you said that McGonagall!" Ginny laughed, as Oliver finished recounting his tale from his sixth year.

"Yeah, neither could she" he chortled.

"This has been fun," Ginny smiled up at him, then froze as he unexpectedly leaned forward, placing an awkward but tender kiss on her lips. Little by little she found herself kissing him back, guardedly.

"Oliver, I can't do this"

She stood and began to stride back towards the castle.

"Ginny! Wait," Oliver called, darting after her, "talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Go home Oliver, just go. I can't explain and I don't want to"

And with that she bounded up the steps and inside the castle walls.

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"So what do you want to do tonight?"

Blaise and Hermione sat as close as was possible, in regards to the potions curse, on the heads couch, staring aimlessly into space.

Hermione shrugged.

"How about?" Blaise started, but Hermione cut him off.

"You know that time turner only worked the one time"

Blaise blushed.

"How do you know that's even what I was going to ask?" he cried, on the defensive. Hermione gave him a bold look and he sighed.

"Well, im sorry if I come across a bit sex mad – but have you met my girlfriend!" he grinned slyly, and Hermione blushed this time.

"So, what do you want to do?" Blaise repeated.

"I think I want to go see professor Snape…"

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"What," Blaise exclaimed, "I mean I know I haven't been able to provide all my usual boyfriendy perks, but replacing me with Snape! Im ashamed!"

"Shut up Blaise!", Hermione screeched, whacking him with a cushion.

"No, I had an idea to do with the curse that I want to run past him"

Blaise eyed her suspiciously.

"Well, alright then, but if I catch you in white wedding meringue, and Snape in a top hat there will be trouble!"

"Deal"

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"Sir, I read that if one of the links of a curse dies, then it is often lifted? Is that true?"

Snape heaved a sigh at his most intelligent but arguably his most annoying student.

"Yes miss granger, that is quite correct – now who did you want to kill?"

Hermione sent him a livid evil, then her eyes widened.

"Well actually sir, have you ever heard of the cessation tear?" she asked, offhandedly, and watched as Snape's eyes enlarged.

"Where did you hear of that? Its incredibly dark magic!" he growled.

"In one of the books in Dumbledore's office, entitled "severe del cessationa", it sounded intriguing"

"Ill say", Snape glowered at her.

"Miss Granger, you are not permitted to make such an enchantment. It could be highly dangerous, not to mention impossibly illegal! There are so many complications that a seventeen year old witch could not overcome easily and of course-"

Hermione interrupted him mid rant.

"Sir, im not suggesting I make it," she smirked, "im suggesting that you make it"

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"I can't believe you asked Snape outright like that!" Harry laughed as Hermione recounted the afternoon's events to Harry, Ginny and Ron, who had joined her and Blaise in the heads common room.

The common room had become an official meeting point for the five, once classes had finished for the day. Blaise had all but moved in to Hermione's room, and Ron and Harry hated the Gryffindor common room without Hermione and Ginny.

The pair's relationship with Blaise had changed too. They no longer saw him as a Slytherin, the enemy; but as a mate and a close one at that. Hew made Hermione happy and she loved him, so they had called a time out on their grudge.

"I can't believe he agreed to it" Hermione replied, failing to disguise her complete delight.

Snape had reluctantly agreed to make the cessation tear enchantment for either Harry or Blaise to drink. Hermione had been incredibly surprised and had to use all of her will power to maintain her authoritative confidence over the potions teacher.

"Evening all", Everyone's heads turned as professor Dumbledore clambered into the heads quarters.

"Hi professor," Hermione smiled, "we were just discussing the enchantment"

Dumbledore looked decidedly tired, Hermione thought, as she watched him cast a darkened look across the two black haired boys. It was remarkable how similar they really were.

"Can I ask which of you two is going to endure the cessation tear enchantment?" he asked, exhaustedly, and Blaise raised a casual hand. Harry looked at him in surprise.

"But –"he began, but Blaise stopped him, shaking his head.

"My turn Harry" he answered, and followed Dumbledore to Hermione's bedroom, where he would explain how the tear worked.

"I can't believe he's going to do this" Harry gaped after him.

Ron shrugged.

"Sometimes other people just need to be able to take the stand"

Harry stared curiously at his best friend.

"Do I always take the stand Ron? Is this what this is about? The limelight!" he cried, frustrated.

Ron kept quiet for a bit, then nodded.

"I know you don't ask for it", He said, at Harry's furious expression, "but sometimes it's hard, just standing to the right of you, mate."

"Is this why you went to the chess tournament?" Harry asked softly and Ron's eyes widened.

"How did you know about that?"

Harry handed him a yellowing copy of "magical sports express", the wizarding sports paper, and Ron flipped it open.

****

****

**_SURPRISE CHAMPION!_**

Screamed the headline.

_**Seventeen year old Ronald Weasley, surprised chess fans yesterday, by taking home the most elusive prize a junior chess player can receive. In a fierce battle between………….**_

"Congratulations mate" Harry beamed and Ron blushed.

"Thanks, it was nothing really. And I certainly don't envy your _limelight,_ shall we say!"

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Blaise sat on Hermione's bed, processing Dumbledore's explanation of the cessation tear.

He would take the first part of the enchantment – a tiny tear drop sized potion – which would stop his emotions and feelings, then an spell would be said, freezing his blood and stopping his brain activity, then an orb, made of frozen tears would be placed directly above his heart, stopping it for the briefest of moments. This would allow him to die for just a few seconds and the curse to be broken, before the orb was lifted, the spell reversed and him to return to life, as if nothing had happened.

The loss of emotions and feelings however was different. The emotions he would have returned to him were only those that ran deep in his veins – true friendships, parental affection, and true love. Superficial feelings would not return.

Blaise thought about all the shallow friendships he'd made in Slytherin, his relationships with teachers he didn't respect or admire, people he didn't love would change and disappear, making it hard for him to rekindle his patience with those people.

On the other end of the scale, however, those true emotions would be stronger then ever and in the first eight hours after he was resurrected, he would feel extraordinary bursts of emotions – good and bad.

"Okay", he said finally, "I want to do this"

Dumbledore nodded. The Zabini boy was a brave one – braver maybe then Harry.

"You realise that you may lose your feelings for miss granger all together and your friendships with Harry, Ronald and Ginny?" he pointed out kindly.

Blaise simply grinned.

"Sir, I do not need to die and be resurrected to know what true friendships and love feel like"

"And then, I have the utmost respect for you Mr. Zabini"

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The tiny drop of the bright blue potion made Blaise shiver, as he swallowed, and he instantly felt……….well nothing. He thought of Hermione – nothing. Of Draco – nothing. His parents –still nothing. All his emotions had actually gone.

"Ok Mr. Zabini – in two minutes all will be well. Are you ready?"

Blaise nodded.

"I love you Blaise" he heard Hermione whisper, but couldn't reply, as he didn't feel the slightest fragment of love towards her, due to the potion. To him her words just sounded surreal.

Dumbledore quickly began to chant the words of the spell, in their Latin form, and Hermione and the others watched in horror as the words cut themselves into Blaise's flesh, gleaming red with blood, then they all gasped as the trickles of blood suddenly froze. Blaise's eyes glazed over.

"He is officially brain dead at the moment" Dumbledore informed them, and Hermione helplessly burst into tears.

Snape quickly, placed a scintillating silver orb onto Blaise's chest, above his heart and his head fell to the side. He was dead.

"Miss granger" Snape said, coolly, and Hermione dashed forward, placing a hand on Blaise's torso. The spell had been broken.

Instantaneously, Snape salvaged the orb, as Dumbledore repeated the spell, flipside, and Blaise's eyes fluttered open once again.

"Blaise!" Hermione launched herself into Blaise's arms.

"It worked!" he exclaimed, "wow….. I can't believe I just died. It was surreal"

"What did you see?" Ron asked curiously.

"The fiery pit of hell" Blaise grinned wickedly, and Hermione laughed.

"You're not going to hell" she chortled.

"Oh believe I am!", Blaise replied, "It's a hell of a lot more fun then heaven. They have crazy golf!" he laughed, mockingly.

Dumbledore then cleared his throat.

"Mr. Zabini, I suggest you spend the next eight hours in the hospital wing – you will be subjected to some unbelievably harsh emotional experiences shortly and I have asked poppy to keep a close watch over you, during that time."

Blaise nodded in concurrence and followed Dumbledore to the medical wing, whilst Hermione and the others celebrated their success.

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The next eight hours were hell for Blaise.

He relived the day he was told he had been adopted and the pain and confused mess of thoughts that had caused.

He thought of Hermione and had screamed as he thought his heart was about to burst with love and happiness. He wanted to ask her to marry him right there and then. To see her and to hold her and never let go.

He thought about Draco; his best friend, and he sobbed and thrashed about for hours in relived grief.

Thoughts of his new friendships with Harry, Ron and Ginny flashed through his head, making him feel so wanted and accepted, that he had a grin plastered to his face for half an hour, making him appear incredibly idiotic.

When he thought of Voldemort – who had forced him to kill, to take the dark mark, he had jumped out of bed, screaming for him to be murdered, and frightening madam Pomfrey so much that she had bound him magically to his bed, until the moment passed.

Finally he fell asleep exhausted and in a fragile state of mind and dreamt of nothing.

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Ginny Weasley had never felt as preoccupied as she did tonight. There was little need for her worries really. She was surrounded by fantastic friends and family. She had great grades and was about to become a mother – something she couldn't wait to do. However, it was her encounter with Oliver wood that had left her confused and lonely.

She tiptoed across to the fire place in the heads common room and ignited it with glowing green flames, with a handful of floo powder.

"Brett?" she whispered into the flames, and slowly a head coagulated into view.

"Hey Ginny"

As Ginny smiled at Brett's friendly face, she rapidly felt her restlessness ebb away. Brett's letter, in reply to her own, hastily scribbled plea for support, had made her feel more secure then she had felt previously since Draco's death. It was as if Brett had made everything alright.

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A/N:

So Harry's met his idol, Ginny's realised that replacing Draco isn't as easy as she'd thought. Blaise and Hermione's curse has been lifted by a dangerous enchantment and Oliver wood has gone home unhappy.

A likely friendship has been formed between Harry, Ron and Blaise and Ginny has sought comfort in Brett – the very American American!

In the next chapter…….

Exams are a go go!

Hogwarts is under attack.

Harry faces his biggest challenge ever.

Blaise commits.

Ginny tells all.

And life as we know it changes forever.


	16. The Defect

Chapter Sixteen: The Defect

_**It takes guts and a gun,**_

_**Just like in bud Dwyer's lil' surprise.**_

_**A defect,  
no one'll ever see it coming.**_

_**I'm indulging myself in a strategic advance, orchestrated by the enemy.**_

_**It dwells deep, yet grows strong, within...**_

_**(Am I working against myself? well am I?)**_

_**Everything dreadful happening, imagine how I should feel,**_

_**When realizing that it was planned,**_

_**From a beginning that I don't even recall,**_

_**You might call this a tragedy, seems more to me like simple standard habits.**_

_**Wishing to be finally saved,**_

_**Waiting for something/someone that would order me to follow a certain purpose**_

_**With both convictions & deviations.**_

_**If you'd only knew how...**_

_**I'm tired of your paintings.**_

_**Your bold landscapes sucks and have ceased to amaze me long ago.  
Be a pal and let me add a fantasy of mine, abstraction.**_

_**Of scarlet and red pure... so pure.**_

_**Are there any written rules related to simplicity**_

_**(Of actions, of thoughts...)**_

_**I guess not. So how come you're judging?**_

_**You won't the day that it will end, drenched in vital fluids.**_

_**As you are forced to witness the spontaneity of the events.**_

_**And I won't be a bother no more?**_

"Ill see you at dinner then?"

Blaise kissed Hermione on the cheek, basking in their new lease of freedom, and headed off to herbology. Seconds later he was back by her side and she gave him a quizzical look.

"Sorry, I forgot to …….." He stuttered, before kissing her passionately, in front of the entire student body, who were eating breakfast in the great hall. The pair's relationship had not gone unnoticed by their fellow Alumni. And whilst most of them were only a little swayed by the developments, there were some, mainly Slytherin's, who heartily disagreed with the pairing.

Hermione giggled as Blaise pulled away, slightly redder then previous, and attempted to saunter casually out of the great hall, failing as he turned to wave and fell into a group of second years.

Ginny smiled at Hermione who was grinning and blushing like an idiot.

"Going well is it?" she laughed, and Hermione sighed.

"He's so cute!" she stared wistfully after his retreating back, "you have no idea how much I love him!" she gushed, then stopped hastily at Ginny's saddened look.

"Oh! Gin! im so sorry……I forgot…….well I mean I just….."

Ginny stopped her babbling.

"It's fine. It's been awhile and you didn't know to start with so…….its okay mione"

The two girls looked down at their cereal, the atmosphere tinged with regret and melancholy.

Finally Hermione made her excuses and hurried out of the hall and towards her transfiguration class.

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"Now Gryffindor's!" professor McGonagall's stern voice echoed over the preoccupied students.

"The exams are nearly upon us and so I need you all to concentrate and study harder then ever before. These exams decide your future. Your careers. Your lives. They are not to be taken lightly!"

Harry and Ron exchanged alarmed glances, whilst Hermione was diligently taking notes.

"Your exams will consist of a written paper and a practical. We will be preparing for the written assessment in today's class, if you'd like to get out a sheet of parchment"

The class was filled with the hurried scrambling for sheets of parchment and quills.

Hermione glanced down at the sheets of tidy notes she'd written and smiled with satisfaction. Her page was not covered with tips and hints for exam technique as suspected. But a detailed plan of her proposal. After all she was the one with everything to prove. Blaise had died for her, trusted her and loved. She'd been the one to keep screwing it up.

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A week later and the exams were in full throttle. Blaise sighed anxiously as he awaited his charms exam. He had always excelled in his classes, but today he was going to do something spectacular.

"Blaise Zabini!"

As he entered the classroom and seated himself in front of the panel of three wizards, he placed his wand on the table in front of him mush to the examiner's surprise.

"But, young man, don't you need this" the wizened old chief of the examinations board, said kindly and Blaise shrugged.

"Not particularly" he answered.

"Well then, let us see an engorge charm"

Blaise smirked. _Easy! _He lifted one hand and directed it towards a quill on the desk, which instantly grew to gigantic proportions.

"My my, Wandless magic! Young man, who taught you this?" the chief examiner exclaimed, as the other's looked on in awe.

"Dumbledore taught me to control it, but ive always had the skill I guess" Blaise answered.

"Ah, Mr. Hibbins!" Dumbledore suddenly entered the room, smiling at the old wizard.

"I see you've met young mister Zabini here and his talent" he added, running an amused eye over the six foot tall quill and the motionless wand.

"Oh yes! Quite impressive I must say" Higgins replied, "Are his parents of _sinaiuto _descent also?"

Blaise frowned.

"Sinaiuto?" he asked Dumbledore.

"Without wand or help Blaise." He explained.

"Mr. Higgins, Blaise is actually the son of Blaise Kendal and Dahlia Vourn"

The three examiners expressions suddenly paled.

"Incredible!" Higgins whispered, gazing at Blaise with a certain look of awe and respect.

"Blaise you may go. I believe you've passed" Dumbledore said gently and Blaise made to exit as quickly as possible.

"Passed Dumbledore? He's bloody well off the scale!"

Blaise could hear Higgins exclamations as he left the room. Bloody hell, that hadn't turned out as smugly as he'd expected. He had expected a slightly stunned audience, but not complete astonishment and his heritage to be dissected in front of him.

"Blaise!" Dumbledore caught up with him as he turned a corner.

"I thought we agreed no wandless disciplines in your exams"

"I know, I just wanted to show people what I could do. Im sorry"

Dumbledore eyed him charily, and then his face softened.

"You got more then you bargained for in the reaction stakes I believe" And Blaise nodded.

"People are always going to marvel at this type of skill, Blaise, and if you cannot handle your past being discussed at every corner, then you should think twice about using it complacently." He educated not unkindly, but wisely.

Blaise nodded.

"I need to find Hermione"

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"You did what!" Hermione exclaimed as Blaise narrated the day's events for her benefit.

"I can't believe you would use that sort of power so irresponsibly!" she cried, frustrated.

"If you – know – who ever got word of this, you could be used for so many dark things and I couldn't bear to watch you do that to yourself!" she sobbed, a little dramatically in Blaise's view.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Im sorry okay" he murmured into her hair and she nodded.

"Marry me?"

"What!"

Marry me?" she repeated again, less muffled as she looked up at him.

Blaise stared at her taken aback.

"Did you just ask me to marry you?" he asked gently, and she nodded.

"I love you, and I did have a huge speech written out and everything, but it just seemed right to ask just then……"

Blaise however was still staring dazedly at her.

"Im sorry, I shouldn't have" she muttered, pulling away from him.

Blaise watched as she walked away from him, and felt his heart lurch sickeningly. If he let her walk away now, would it be the biggest mistake of his life?

"Yes"

She stopped and turned to face him.

"Seriously?" she grinned and he smiled back.

"Yes"

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So the time had come.

Harry stood dead still as he watched in horror as the scene he'd dreaded for the last seven years unfold before his eyes. His gaze drifted from terrified face to terrified face. Friends, acquaintances and strangers struggled to their feet, clinging desperately to each other, as the dust settled, from the blast that had swept from nowhere through the great hall, where the written potions exam was taking place.

Harry had just reached his final question when an enormous cloud of dust and a petrifying explosion had ruptured through the traumatized students, throwing them to the floor, and igniting any surplus material.

Harry gazed frantically through the roaring flames for Ron and called his friends name.

"Im here mate", Ron was instantly at his side; hand on Harry's shoulder as they stared out over the devastation.

"Harry!"

Hermione dashed towards the pair, from where she had been sitting on the other side of the hall, Blaise directly behind her.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked desperately.

"Probably in the common room with the other Gryffindor's. She'll be perfectly safe" Hermione soothed Ron's panic, clutching at Blaise's hand.

"Harry? Ron? Mione?"

The trio spun around as Ginny's voice echoed in their ears.

"Ginny! What are you doing here!" Ron yelled, his panic returning.

"I was on my way back from the kitchens, with Brett, when we heard the explosion. Harry is this what I think it is?" she asked intently, not quite managing to hide the fear in her voice.

"Brett's here?" Hermione asked and the American teenager raised a trembling hand from where he stood a few metres away from the group, helping an injured sixth year to her feet.

"Brett!" Ron called and he came sprinted over.

"Yeah?" he replied breathlessly.

"I want you to take Ginny upstairs to the heads common room, okay. Stay with her and make sure she'd safe! Got it?" He explained quickly to the other boy, who nodded, taking Ginny's hand.

"No! I want to fight Ron! Harry, tell him!" Ginny wailed, clawing her way out from Brett's grasp.

"Think of your baby gin. Yours and Draco's child! Don't put yourselves in danger gin…….. Please!" Harry pleaded desperately.

Ginny relaxed into Brett's grip once again, defeated.

"Okay, I love you Harry, I hope you know that I care about you so much…"

Harry stared at her with saddened eyes, then leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"I love you too Ginny. Don't forget about me okay?" he grinned inappropriately for the occasion, but Ginny grinned back, a fearful look in her eyes.

"Never"

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"I want to fight!"

Brett held Ginny to him, as she grew more and more frantic.

"I promised Ron and Harry I would keep you and your baby safe and alive, gin sweetie. Don't make this hard for me"

Ginny clutched harder at Brett's torso, and dissolved into tears.

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"Harry!"

The trio turned to hear Dumbledore's booming voice from behind them.

"Professor, is this it?" Harry replied, bravely.

"Yes, Harry, this is it. The death eaters have stormed the castle. Voldemort will be here shortly."

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who gazed back at him, the fear and panic gone, replaced by determination.

"Ready?"

"Ready" they replied together.

"Ah, _Harry potter_. How _nice_ to see you again"

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"Even your mudblood mother isn't here to save you this time"

Harry saw everything in slow motion. The destroyed hall, the screaming students, the bloodshed. And Voldemort. Right at the heart of it all.

"Im not the one who needs saving, riddle" Harry replied venomously.

Time seemed to stand still as both wizards yanked out the wands and fired the same curse towards each other.

"Avada Kedevra!"

Harry had never thought that he would yell those words and mean them so much. And yet the amount of hatred and disgust he felt at that moment of time seeped into his brain and through his veins unstoppably.

As the lights of their wands connected, spiralling them into what was a mirror of the first time they had truly fought each other, in Harry's fourth year, just after Voldemort had risen again. In the silvery web that separated them from their respective army's and suspended them in the air, Harry had his final bright idea. Hermione would have been proud of him, it was so inspired. His father would have proud at its sneakiness, he laughed suddenly.

"I wouldn't laugh, _potter_. You are about to _die_" Voldemort hissed, but Harry shook his head.

"Nah I don't think so" he replied casually, now totally prepared for the series of events that would unfold from this moment.

As predicted the ghost like wisps of people, who had died at the hands of either one of the pair, slowly due forward, and Harry watched nervously, hoping his connection was strong enough.

Low and behold, although not killed directly by Harry, but because Harry had created circumstances in which it were necessary, Blaise's wispy frame stepped forward.

He drifted towards Harry, as if protecting him, and Harry leant across to whisper in the ghosts' ear.

"Harness your power Blaise. Why should you control it? It's yours to unleash. He killed your parents! Just like he killed mine…. and Hermione – he tried to take her from you!"

He looked to his right and saw Blaise standing rigid, his face growing red with anger. The words were being transmitted straight into Blaise's mind through his ghost form.

Harry suppressed a grin at his successful plan.

Come on Blaise, get angry! He willed, desperately.

Voldemort's eyes grew narrow, as he watched these events slowly unfold before him.

He turned to his death eater's and grinned unpleasantly.

"Kill them. Kill them all" he gestured to the terrified hall of students and the death eaters raised their wands.

C'mon Blaise! Harry yelled inside his mind, and there was a sudden earth shattering explosion as a tidal wave of tiny silver fragments from the suspended orb smashed and hurtled outwards. Harry fell to the floor, scrambling to his feet and aiming his wand at Voldemort.

There was no hesitation in his mind.

"Avada Kedevra"

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"Harry!" Hermione dashed forward and threw herself at Harry's side, as he collapsed where he stood.

"Hermione, the death eater's, you've got to stop them. The students." he cried hoarsely.

She looked up wildly, and saw the death eater's, furious at Harry's success, were throwing spells left, right and centre.

She then caught sight of Blaise, doubled over, eyes lolling back in his head, clinging to Ron.

"Blaise! What's wrong? Have you been hit?" she cried, but he shook his head.

"I don't know why mione….. "He croaked painfully, before losing consciousness, two minutes after Harry did.

Hermione watched as Ron hauled Blaise's body to a safer corner of the room, and then sprinted back for Harry, whom he left at Blaise's side.

He looked at Hermione.

"Ready?" he asked and she nodded, pulling out her wand.

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The aftermath was atrocious.

Hermione walked quietly through the hospital wing, where the students with the most injuries lay in the beds. The great hall was also filled with students who were less seriously wounded and the library……….

Amongst the books lay those who had not survived.

Hermione reached the curtained off corner of the wing, and stepped inside, drawing the curtains once again, behind her.

Two beds lay side by side, each enclosing two of the most important people in her life. Harry and Blaise had been in their coma like state for the pass twenty four hours, neither looking like they would awake any time soon.

She sat exhausted, in the chair next to Blaise's bed and gently stroked his unruly black hair, which fell across his ashen face. She'd give anything for him to wake up right now, she thought desolately, as she watched him sleeping. The ring on her left hand glinted in the bright light of the hospital wing and she felt her stomach lurch.

"Hermione?"

The girl jumped and whirled round to find Harry attempting to pull himself into a sitting position and grimacing with pain.

"Harry!" she cried, "don't move! Madam Pomfrey?" she cried and the mediwitch came running.

"Oh my! Mr. Potter! Don't try and sit up –you'll be in far too much pain!"

Hermione backed off, to perch on Blaise's bed and slid her hand across his, feeling it cold to the touch, as madam Pomfrey attended to Harry. He had so many injuries; it was hard to know where to begin.

All of a sudden, Hermione yelped, as she felt his fingers spring to life and grasp her own.

"Blaise!" she exclaimed excitedly as she twisted round to face him, throwing her arms round his neck as she did so. She sobbed uncontrollably, as he clutched her to him more tightly.

Eventually she pulled away, allowing madam Pomfrey to examine his wounds.

"Hermione dear, perhaps you should alert the headmaster to the boys awakening, hmmm?"

Hermione nodded and set of through the castle to the great hall, where she knew Dumbledore would be, observing his students.

As she entered the gigantic room, her jaw dropped at the amount of walking wounded that unfolded before her eyes.

She instantly spotted several of her house mates and hurried over. Seamus and dean it seemed had been responsible for killing one of the death eater's that had sprung their murderous attack on the young pupils.

"Seamus! Dean! Are you guys okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Seamus winced as dean attempted to stem the bleeding from his friend's chest.

"Perhaps you'd better get to the hospital wing" Hermione urged Seamus, but he shook his head.

"No room mione. There people worse off then me right now" he attempted to reassure her, but she refused to acknowledge his excuses.

Pulling out her wand, she smiled grimly.

"I don't actually have my licence yet, but ive passed every test on the course with full marks, so far…." She murmured, and Seamus smiled feebly.

"Hermione, you are the smartest witch I know. I have complete faith" he grinned.

"Okay then" she replied and slowly placed her wand over his wound, muttering several spells as she did so. At once the bleeding stopped and the deep cut healed over, leaving just tender looking scarring.

"Use the _asesino _spell for a pain killer, okay?" she added as she moved away, towards Dumbledore and the pair nodded in thanks.

"Professor?" Dumbledore halted his healing of Susan bones broken arm, as she called his name tentatively.

"Ah Hermione, how can I help you, my dear" he replied warmly.

"Harry and Blaise are awake sir" she explained and his eyes twinkled.

"That's wonderful news. Ah yes, very good indeed!"

He stood up and smiled at Hermione.

"Im certain you can take over from me in this area, hmmm?" he smiled down at her and she beamed back.

"Of course sir" she replied confidently, taking over his position of healer, and bending down to fix Susan's arm.

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"well you see boys, Harry's blood has been running through Voldemort's veins since his fourth year, and therefore his death caused Harry to become very weak and fall into this coma like state" Dumbledore paused whilst explaining why Harry and Blaise had passed out like they did after Voldemort had fallen.

"Blaise, you also fell into a coma, due to your part in the potion, that more or less saved Harry's life down there. Without the extra protection, Harry would never have held up against Voldemort for so long. Never long enough to convince you indirectly to lose control of your power."

The elderly professor sighed deeply.

"I want to thank you both sincerely. I have the utmost respect for you both and I am humbled in your presence."

Both Harry and Blaise swelled with pride at Dumbledore's words of praise. The struggle had been a long and difficult one, but they had survived.

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"Hermione!"

The seventeen year old girl looked up, from attending her latest patient, to see Ginny running towards her frantically, Brett following a little slower behind her.

"Ginny! Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Hermione hugged the younger girl to her comfortingly.

"Were both fine. What happened? There's injured students everywhere. You can't get near the hospital wing and we've all been confined to our rooms for the last ten hours!"

Hermione sighed.

"I think this is what they call hell, Ginny. Absolute hell".

The three surveyed the hall, which was now full of students, healing each other with the charms suggested by Hermione as she'd made her rounds, helping those worst off.

The hall itself was in disarray. Desks were upturned and smouldering from where the explosion had ignited them. Stone pillars lay crushed across the blackened and dusty floor, and the windows were completely smashed.

The teacher's who weren't injured or lying in the library, for dead, were slowly helping the students back to their common rooms, where the head of the houses were ensuring everyone was able to rest and clean up.

The cleanup operation was well underway.

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"Mum! Dad!"

Ron jumped up and darted across the room, to hug his parents, as they came to take the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione back to the burrow.

Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron tightly, before greeting Hermione and Harry in the same way.

"Im so glad your alright!" she beamed, "Ginny, dear!" She moved forward to hug her daughter, who was seated behind one of the house tables in the kitchen area, where the majority of students were milling around, greeting their folks.

Ginny held up a hand to stop her mother.

"Mum? You know back at Christmas when you offered to take care of a little one for me?"

Molly Weasley nodded, not quite making the connection. Ginny rose, allowing her parents to make out her increasing bump.

"Oh Ginny sweetheart!" molly gasped, then smiled, hugging her daughter tightly.

"Of course that offer still stands…… are you both well?"

Ginny, astounded at her parents acceptability burst into tears.

Hermione stepped forward and took molly's arm, leading her away from Ginny, who was being comforted by Brett.

"There may be another couple of additions to our group, if you don't mind?" she murmured. Molly shook her head.

"Of course not. Who are they?"

"Well there's Brett and Amy, the two Americans. Amy is Harry's girlfriend."

Molly glanced over her shoulder to see Harry enveloped in the arms of a striking blonde girl.

"And there's my fiancée…"

Molly stared at the girl in front of her, who lifted her left hand up for molly to witness. A gleaming diamond nestled on her ring finger, shining in the sunlight.

"Congratulations!" molly cried, hugging the younger witch, "who is he then?"

Hermione grinned.

"Blaise Zabini"

Molly stood there shocked for awhile, and then spoke again.

"Who's the father of Ginny's baby?"

Hermione grinned again.

"Draco Malfoy!"

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The party that travelled back to the burrow was a cheerful and rowdy one. The previous events were pushed far into the backs of their minds as they laughed and joked with each other, in the two ministry car's provided by fudge, who was overly grateful towards Harry ad Blaise.

Hermione, Ginny, Brett and Blaise travelled with Mrs. Weasley in one car. Harry, Amy, Ron and Mr. Weasley in the other. Jemma, the girl Ron had met at the chess tournament, was meeting them back at the burrow, and had been, like everyone in the cars, invited to stay for the summer.

As the tired but content students slowed to a stop outside the familiar, slanted building, that was the beloved burrow, Hermione thought back to the remembrance service of yesterday. The list of names read out by a sombre Dumbledore had been an extensive and distressing one. Many of their friends and classmates had died at the hands of the death eater's. Ginny had sat with tears streaming down her face, as she thought about Draco and how Voldemort had murdered him as well. Blaise had, however, sat in a total state of remove from the proceedings, his hand clasped tightly round her own. It was if he were remembering how he'd nearly joined the names on that grave list.

"Mione?"

Hermione looked up to see Blaise peering into the car curiously, and realised everyone else had already disappeared inside the burrow. She could make them out through the large kitchen window. Ron and Harry laughing with Amy and a beautiful European looking girl. Ginny, an arm round Brett's waist, talking with her parents and Then she saw her reflection in the glass. As if part of the group, standing side by side with Blaise.

She turned to him and kissed him lovingly on the cheek.

"Welcome to the burrow"

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A/N:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! My penultimate chapter is finished!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I couldn't be more upset that my story is coming to close. Everyone has made their final choices, Voldemort's been killed and life is good again.

So here it is……… my final recap of a chapter…………enjoy!

Exams have started. Blaise and Hermione are getting married! Ginny told her parents about her baby and its father. Everyone is in love and happy. Voldemort's been defeated! YEY! That's about it I think………..

Read and review!

I might write a sequel if anyone's interested? Let me know!

Love you all XXXXX

- The epilogue is still to come! -


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue: Love Is The Last Thing To Fade

_It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart_

_Without saying a word you could light up the dark_

_Try as I may I could never explain_

_What I hear when you don't say a thing_

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_

_There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me_

_The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall_

_You say it best when you say nothing at all_

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud_

_But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd_

_Try as they may, they could never define _

_What's being said between your heart and mine_

A soft glowing light illuminated the kitchen of the burrow. In one corner, a baby with a cloud of the palest buttermilk blonde curls stirred gently in her sleep.

She looks so much like her father, mused Ginny Weasley, as she paused whilst pulling on a green cashmere sweater, to gaze down in awe at her daughter. The baby awoke, opening her enormous grey eyes, and Ginny scooped her up into her arms. She traced the scattering of freckles across her daughters' nose and smiled. She really was the most beautiful child she'd ever seen.

"Ginny?"

Hermione's voice broke Ginny's content silence, and she turned to see the older girl hovering in the doorway to the kitchen, that led out onto the patio. It had been surrounded and sheltered with vines, to keep out the breeze, and it made them feel even more secure then usual.

"Is she awake?" Hermione's voice was softer now, and Ginny nodded, before yawning.

"Do you want me to take her so you can change?"

Ginny nodded again and gently handed her pride and joy over to here friend and began to climb the stairs to her room.

"There you are mione! Ive been looking everywhere for you! Molly says dinner is nearly ready"

Hermione looked up into Blaise's handsome face, his black hair as messy as ever.

Sometimes she couldn't believe that he was still with her after so long. It was coming on to two years now and she didn't think she could ever love anyone else as much as she loved Blaise.

The pair gazed down at the tiny bundle of blankets and blonde curls that just peeked out from them.

"I want one" Hermione whispered longingly, and Blaise slipped his arms round her waist, placing a tender kiss on her lips.

"One thing at a time" he murmured, fiddling with the engagement ring on her left hand.

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Ginny stared at herself in the full length mirror in her tiny bedroom at the burrow. The dress she wore was a beautiful emerald green hue; the dress she'd bought for the end of year ball. She'd never gotten to wear it in front of Draco, even though it was because of him, she'd bought it.

She sighed sadly as she pulled her hair up into a knot at the nape of her neck. She missed him so very much.

Her hand subconsciously flew up to the chain round her neck, on which hung, a simple but beautiful ring. Her engagement ring from Draco. It was a shame he'd never had the chance to ask her.

Casting a final glance in the mirror she made her way back down stairs and out onto the patio.

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The burrow's garden had never looked more beautiful, Ginny thought as she paused to take in the scene before her, from the patio doors.

The trees twinkled with tiny shimmering faerie lights, which flitted back and forth across the rose garden.

A long oak table, bending under the weight of a million delicious dishes, that her mother had spent all day cooking, spanned the length of the patio.

And there, seated all around it, were her friends and family.

Her parents sat at one end, cooing over her daughter, who looked so angelic, with a twist of roses in her soft baby curls.

Harry and Ron were laughing and joking with the twins, each of whom had bought their respective girlfriends to dinner. Harry, however, Ginny noticed, couldn't take his eyes off his own girlfriend, Amy, as she sat opposite him, deep in conversation with Brett, who grinned at her as he glanced up for a second and caught her eye.

Charlie, Percy and bill were poring over a quidditch magazine, which held the very first photos of Harry in his new position as seeker for the English Quidditch team. He was hoping to lead them to victory in the quidditch world cup later this summer.

Her gaze moved onto Hermione and Blaise, who couldn't be more in love if they tried. They had found something. Something that made them last. That allowed them to deal with any problem or obstacle and land on their feet.

Draco and she hadn't been so lucky as to land on their feet. She knew this meant that perhaps it wasn't meant to be, but it was a horrible thought to contemplate. He hadn't been her first love, and she doubted he'd be her last. But she had loved him, so very much and she missed him dreadfully.

"He should've been here tonight"

Ginny jumped as she heard Brett's voice from just beside her. She shook her head and turned to smile up at him.

"No, it was his time to go," she replied; "anyway he'd have hated it!" she laughed.

Brett chuckled, and then paused, turning her face towards his, a look on concern across his handsome features.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, and she smiled.

"Yes", she looked up at him and then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Life moves on" She shrugged, before deepening the kiss.

They broke apart after awhile, smiling at each other. She didn't think she would fall in love again so quickly or so easily, but Brett had suddenly materialised into her life and she did love him.

They made their way to their seats, Ginny scooping her daughter into her arms as she passed her parents.

To a passer-by, the three of them; the redhead girl, the American boy and the tiny smiling baby girl looked like the picture of true contentment and love. And Ginny thought, they were probably right.

After all life moves on, but once you've experienced it, lost it, found it and fought for it, love is the last thing to fade. It's always standing just to the right of you.

**THE END.**


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